Guidelines & Regulations for the Burial of Shammot
Boxes Of Books Buried According To Jewish Law
Books are first and foremost to help the living.
Material in perfectly good condition should not have to be buried. New and slightly used books should be offered to other synagogues or schools, given away to libraries, senior centers, etc. Only when no other use can be found should it be brought to Pultusker Chapel. We do not want to be wasteful with consecrated space.
We do this to show respect and awe before the Holy Name
Only material with the Hebrew name of G-d should be brought for burial. Books entirely in English, or German, or Russian do not need to be buried. Hebrew primers, literature and newspapers without the Holy Name do not need to be buried. Please separate this out and dispose of it normally.
The genizah is not a depository for personal mail or junk mail, such as newspapers, solicitations, magazines, or school papers, unless the Hebrew name of G-d is found within them.
We treat the shammot as we do the human body
Just as we bury bodies to be returned to dust, so do we with the shammot. Please do not put anything in plastic since it is not biodegradable. Cardboard boxes are just fine. You can keep the area neat by putting disposable trash in the barrel just outside the chapel. Of course, as you participate in this mitzvah, you might want to ponder the words of the 13th century Judah of Regensburg in his Sefer Hasidim:
“Books should be placed in stately array near the dead, so that the souls of the righteous may in death study as they did on earth.
JCAM takes the responsibility for the burial of shammot, which include books, Bibles, scrolls, benchers, tefillin, talitot, photocopied pages, or papers with the Hebrew name of G-d on them to ensure that these items are treated with the respect our tradition accords them.
These shammot gathered from synagogues, schools and individuals are brought to the Pultusker Chapel on Baker Street in West Roxbury (located halfway up the Baker Street Roadway in West Roxbury, is open during daylight hours to receive material). When the chapel is filled, JCAM arranges the burial and provides the land.
There are costs to opening the grave, which can be as large as a grave for twelve people. For this reason, JCAM asks participating congregations and individuals for donations to help defray costs. We recommend a donation of $18 per box. Donations should be mailed to our office. PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE ANY DONATIONS AT THE CHAPEL. Be sure to include your name and address with your check.
JCAM Charitable Foundation
189 Wells Avenue, Third Floor
Newton Centre, MA 02459
Ph. 617-244-6509 • Fax. 617-928-1926
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