Funeral Food: Jewish

Se’udat havra’ah (there are various spellings), the Jewish meal of condolence, is loving and practical. The first meal served to the bereaved after the burial, se’udat havra’ah is prepared by friends or relatives from their own food. This practice can be seen as life-giving: because the foods are prepared by others, mourners are obligated to eat. Many of the foods served are symbolic. Round foods are often used to signify the continuance of life. Commonly used foods are round breads, such as challah, and lentils, used both for their round shape and because of a tradition that lentils were prepared by Isaac after he heard of the death of his father, Abraham. Hard-boiled eggs are served without salt. The eggs symbolize the cycle of life, and the lack of salt may symbolize the end of tears. Salt on the Passover seder table represents the tears of Hebrew slaves.