Mission Statement

NASCK (The National Association of Chevra Kadisha) was founded in 1996 to assist chevros kadisha in defining, establishing, and achieving the highest degree of kavod hameis (respect for the deceased), as defined by Jewish law.

NASCK’s mission has since expanded to include the creation and advancement of programs promoting traditional Jewish end-of-life values across the US and Canada, and educating the unaffiliated about the importance of kevurah k'halachah (authentic Jewish burial).

Activities

Today in the US and Canada, more than 55% of the general public is choosing cremation, with the rate approaching 80% in some states.

No official statistics are available for Jews, but our experience with Jewish after-life service providers across the US leads us to believe that the Jewish rate is close to 40%.

That means between 70-80 Jews are being cremated every day.

NASCK is the only organization dedicated to confronting the rising rates of cremation at the national level.

Our most recent newsletter gives an update on some of our initiatives:

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Rabbinic Board

  • Rabbi Eytan Feiner

  • Rabbi Yehuda Kelemer

  • Rabbi Herschel Schachter

  • Rabbi Peretz Steinberg

  • Rabbi Herschel Welcher

Officers

  • Rabbi Elchonon Zohn

    President
    Richmond Hill, New York

  • Dr. Philip Abramowitz, Z"L

    First Vice President
    Brooklyn, New York

  • Rabbi Kalman Baumann

    Vice President
    Miami, Florida

  • Richard Miller

    Treasurer
    West Hempstead, New York

  • Tovah Kirschner

    Secretary
    Cincinnati, Ohio