Honoring the Body: Taharah
The Jewish burial ritual places great importance on treating the deceased with the utmost honor and respect. This is especially important during the ceremony of taharah, which involves the physical cleansing of the dead body.
Best Documentary: Director's Choice2006 Third Coast / Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Competition2006 / Rebecca Sheir / University of Iowa, USA
The Jewish burial ritual places great importance on treating the deceased with the utmost honor and respect. This is especially important during the ceremony of taharah, which involves the physical cleansing of the dead body.
In this documentary, three people who have taken part in taharah share their experiences.
Honoring the Body: Taharah won a Best Documentary: Directors' Choice Award in the 2006 Third Coast / Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Competition.
produced by
You may have caught Rebecca's work on Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Here & Now, The Splendid Table and Marketplace. As host and producer of AK and Metro Connection, she's whisked listeners around the wilds of Alaska and the streets of Washington, D.C. Rebecca has hosted the Folger Shakespeare Library's Shakespeare Unlimited podcast, as well as Slate Magazine's Placemakers and WBUR's Circle Round.