Jewish vs Christian Burial: Differences, Costs and Choices

Jewish and Christian burial differ most in speed, preparation and what happens before the grave. Traditional Jewish practice buries quickly, with ritual washing, plain shrouds, a plain wooden casket, no embalming and no viewing. Christian burial has no single pattern, because Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant customs differ, but a wake or visitation followed by a funeral service and a graveside committal is common. Both allow burial, and the cost depends mostly on the choices a family makes. Practice also varies by denomination and community, so confirm the details with your rabbi or clergy.

How do Jewish and Christian burial compare?

How soon does the burial happen?

Traditional Jewish law requires burial within 24 hours. Delay is permitted in some situations, such as time for relatives to assemble, and My Jewish Learning notes that many non-Orthodox families in North America wait several days so distant relatives can attend. Ask your rabbi what applies to your community.

Most Christian traditions set no fixed deadline. Families typically schedule the funeral around travel, the church's calendar and the funeral home. Our guide on how long after death the funeral takes place explains what affects the timing.

How is the body prepared?

In Jewish practice, the body is washed and purified in a ritual called tahara. It is dressed in simple white shrouds (tachrichim). The deceased is not left alone between death and burial, a practice called shemirah. Embalming is typically prohibited, except where civil authorities require it or where a body must be transported a long distance. See our guide to the tahara ritual.

In many Christian funerals, the funeral home washes and dresses the body. If there will be an open-casket viewing, many funeral homes insist on embalming, although, as the Funeral Consumers Alliance notes, it is never a legal requirement for viewing a body. Refrigeration is an alternative in most states, and the FTC confirms that no state law requires routine embalming. Read more in what is embalming and open vs closed casket.

What kind of casket and cemetery does each use?

Traditional Jewish burial uses a plain wooden casket without metal, and the grave is traditionally left unlined so the body returns to the earth, according to Kavod v'Nichum.

Christian families can choose from a wide range of caskets, from simple wood to steel or bronze. The Funeral Consumers Alliance says average caskets cost about $2,000 to $5,000, while a simple cloth-covered wood casket might cost $1,000.

A burial vault or grave liner is a cemetery rule, not a law. No state or federal law requires one, but most cemeteries do. The FCA says some religious traditions require burial directly in the earth and some cemeteries have areas set aside for this. Our guide on grave liners vs vaults explains the difference.

Who can be buried where. Traditional Jewish cemeteries restrict burial to those born of a Jewish mother or converted under Jewish law, according to My Jewish Learning. Non-Orthodox institutions often allow more latitude, and some keep special sections where Jews and non-Jewish spouses can be buried together. Catholic and other church cemeteries set their own rules, so ask each cemetery for its written policy.

What does each tradition say about cremation?

• Judaism. Orthodox and Conservative authorities prohibit cremation. The Reform movement discourages it but does not consider it sinful. Many Jewish cemeteries will bury cremated remains on request, though some burial societies decline as a deterrent.
• Catholic. The Church prefers burial but does not forbid cremation unless it is chosen for reasons contrary to Christian doctrine. The Vatican's 2016 instruction says the ashes must be laid to rest in a sacred place such as a cemetery, may not be scattered, and should not be divided among family members. Read more in Catholic views on cremation.
• Eastern Orthodox. These churches generally forbid cremation except where unavoidable.
• Protestant. Positions vary by denomination and many accept it. Ask your pastor.

What are the etiquette differences?

Many Jewish communities discourage flowers at a funeral and suggest a donation to charity in the deceased's memory instead. Visitors to the grave commonly leave a small stone rather than flowers; ask the family or your rabbi about local custom. Mourners often tear a garment or ribbon (keriah) before or at the funeral, and at the graveside each person may help fill the grave with earth.

At Christian funerals, flowers, music and a eulogy are common. Dress conservatively at both. For more on what to wear, see what to wear to a funeral and our funeral etiquette guide. For Jewish mourning customs after the burial, read our shiva guide.

How much do Jewish and Christian burials cost?

National figures do not separate costs by religion, and the faith does not set the price. Funeral home charges vary widely by region, so ask for each home's General Price List and compare. Cemetery costs come on top of the funeral home bill.

The Funeral Consumers Alliance gives these typical cemetery and merchandise ranges (brochure revised December 2020, so current prices may be higher):

A traditional Jewish service tends to skip items that appear on many Christian funeral bills, such as embalming, cosmetic preparation, a viewing and an elaborate casket, which can lower the total. A Christian family that also chooses a simple service, direct burial or a modest casket can reach a similar total. Ask every funeral home for its General Price List, which the FTC Funeral Rule requires them to give you. For more, see cemetery plot costs and opening and closing grave fees.

What if the family is interfaith?

Start with the burial place, because that is the hardest part to change. A couple with one Jewish and one Christian partner often looks for a non-Orthodox Jewish cemetery with a section for interfaith families, or a public cemetery where both can be buried together. Some families choose a simple wooden casket, no embalming and a quick burial to honor the Jewish tradition, then hold a wake or visitation to include the Christian relatives.

Our guide to interfaith funeral planning walks through how to divide the rites, and our guides to Jewish funeral traditions, Christian funeral traditions and Jewish burial requirements go deeper on each side.

What to do next

1. Call your rabbi or pastor first, since they can advise on timing, cremation and cemetery rules for your community.
2. Ask the funeral home for its General Price List and tell them up front if you do not want embalming or a viewing.
3. Ask the cemetery for its written rules on caskets, vaults, markers and who may be buried there.
4. If you are planning ahead, record your wishes and your plot details so your family does not have to decide under pressure.