The Movement for Reform Judaism

Rabbi Dr. Jonathan Romain, Chairman of the Assembly of Rabbis and Rabbi of Maidenhead Synagogue is a respected writer and broadcaster, frequently asked to comment on news issues on radio and television.

In this fortnightly feature he addresses your concerns, giving responses to modern issues and queries.

This week's question: What happens to the usual mourning rituals if you donate your body for anatomical research?

This is relatively new territory as Jewish tradition has shied away from doing anything detrimental to a body once the person has died. The body is regarded as a 'holy vessel' - because it has housed a soul created by God - and therefore has to be honoured as much as if it still contained a living person. This includes not making any cuts to a body - which reflects a horror of pagan practices which were rife in biblical times - and this ban is applied today even though the
incisions are for research purposes, not part of a idolatrous rite, and are done surgically by a physician. It is still considered to be 'mutilation' and for this reason, many Orthodox authorities object to post-mortems, and will try to avoid them taking place, and only allow them if they are compelled to do so by law. For those in this mindset, donating one's body to science is an anathema, and it may well be that they would not observe a Shiva or say kaddish for such a person.

A Reform view, however, would regard such a donation as entirely laudable and a step that would undoubtedly benefit others, whether because of the help it gives to trainee surgeons or the medical advances to which it might contribute. In this case, although there would be no funeral, there is no reason why mourning rituals cannot take place as normal i.e. a shiva (home prayers) for however many nights the family wish, saying kaddish in synagogue, mentioning the
person's name at the Yiskor service on Yom Kippur and lighting a yartzeit candle.Moreover, the point of all such rituals is not only to honour the deceased but also to be a comfort for the bereaved and offer them a way of expressing and channel their grief. All of this applies just as much to those you leave behind, whether there is a funeral or not (and perhaps, in its absence, even more so).

As for a physical monument of some sort, if you so wished, you could have a plaque placed on your parents' grave, adding your name, or a tree planted in your memory, or park bench donated in your name, or some other item - be it in the local hospital, school or synagogue - to
commemorate your life. The only caveat is that not all bodies that are donated to science are actually used, either because they have enough at the time or because the body is not suitable for research purposes. Thus one should still leave instructions as to what sort of funeral
should occur if necessary e.g. whether a burial or cremation if preferred, and, depending on that choice, which cemetery you had in mind or where the ashes should be scattered. It is also advisable to tell close members of the family in advance of your intention to donate your body to science. This is because not everyone is happy with the image of their loved one being poked and prodded after death (to put it mildly), and they may wish to discuss it with you and hear your reasons. It also gives them time to come to terms with your decision, so that the sadness of your death is not compounded by shock at your wishes.

Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain
Chairman, Assembly of Rabbis

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