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What is Shmirah?

Shmirah is the Jewish tradition of prayerfully or mindfully accompanying the deceased between death and burial. During this momentous transition, the shomer (one who performs the mitzvah of shmirah – plural shomrim, feminine shomeret) honors the body of the deceased by offering a protective presence, and comforts the soul as it begins its new journey away from the body, its lifelong partner.

Shmirah has the distinction of being among the last acts of kindness you can do for another person, one that no two people can do for each other, and one for which the giver can never be thanked. Finally, respectful care when we can no longer care for ourselves is something that each one of us is bound to need someday.

To learn more about Jewish end-of-life practices, visit our friends at: 

JADE (Jewish Association for Death Education): https://jadeinfo.org/.   See especially the section on the Hineini Learning Tool

Kavod v'Nichum: https://kavodvnichum.org/. 

For support in creating an Austin Shmirah-type system in your own community, contact the Facilitator (Main Menu->Contact Us).

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