Question about a Jewish Funeral Service

A co-worker's father, who also happened to be a longtime patient at my job, passed away. The whole office (8 of us) is going to the service this morning, but NONE of us have even been to anything but Catholic funeral services.

I googled and found out that there are no flowers or mass card equivalents....

anything else I should know?

What should I wear? The same thing I'd wear to any other Funeral Service?

Just to clarify, the 8 of us are just going to the 30 minute service at the funeral home. We don't want to impose on the family at the cemetary.

Re: Question about a Jewish Funeral Service

You are right, there are no flowers or mass cards. What will happen after the funeral and burial, depending on the family, they will have something called a shiva. This is done at someones house and if you decide to go, you can bring something to eat to them. Bakery items, fruit basket or something along those lines are good. You could even go in with the other co-workers and send over some platters.

Re: Question about a Jewish Funeral Service

Yes, just wear the same thing you would normally wear.

If you want to send something, you can send food to the location they will be sitting shivah.

Re: Question about a Jewish Funeral Service

Definitely send food from a kosher deli or bakery. or the equivalent of a mass card would be planting a tree in Israel, but I don't have the info on that. Anyone?

Re: Question about a Jewish Funeral Service

thanks guys

We'll probably send food tomorrow or the next day.

I can't believe that NONE of us ever attended a Jewish funeral service - the office ranges in age from 18-55, and no one has ever been!

Re: Question about a Jewish Funeral Service

wear dark colors, and as a group, you can send food to the home of the family hosting the shivah (from what I've been told no flowers because flowers die)

Re: Question about a Jewish Funeral Service

Just make sure that if you bring or send food that it's kosher - you never know who in the family may observe, and they may be observant in the home even if they aren't out in public.

Re: Question about a Jewish Funeral Service

Thank you everyone - we will call a kosher deli/bakery later today.

Re: Question about a Jewish Funeral Service

I just wanted to add that when my mother was sitting shiva for my grandmother, we received quite a few fruit baskets. Dried fruit and nut platters are also greatly appreciated, as it seems like everyone brings cookies to the shiva. It looked like a kosher bakery exploded in our house!