Who Are We?
The St. Louis Jewish Burial Foundation is devoted to ensuring that every Jewish person in our community receives a traditional Jewish burial (halachic) with dignity, regardless of background. Educating the St. Louis Jewish community through advertising, speaking at assisted living facilities and various venues, and our informative website, we encourage our fellow Jews to choose traditional Jewish burial, not cremation. We are a nonprofit, volunteer-led initiative.
True Kindness When It Matters Most – חֶסֶד שֶׁל אֱמֶת
“Chesed shel emes (true kindness) is the purest act of giving. It cannot be repaid — and that is what makes it eternal.” — Rashi, Genesis 47:29
We are dedicated to helping every Jew, regardless of background, discover the beauty and significance of traditional Jewish burial and to choose it over cremation, strengthening the unbroken chain of tradition stretching back over 3,000 years.
Today, more than half of American Jews choose cremation — often due to confusion, misinformation, or financial pressure. The Torah teaches, “For dust you are, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19). Cremation destroys the body created b’tzelem Elokim (in the image of God) and causes the soul to grieve (Zohar I:121b). Traditional burial brings holiness, dignity, peace, and continuity with Jewish history.