Mitzvah (funeral) at the Cemetery

        בילע המוות לנצח, ומחה ה’ אלוקים דמעה מעל כל-פנים, ישעיהו כ”ה-ח
He will swallow up death for ever,
and the Lord G’D will wipe away tears off all faces.

This page describes the service at a Mitzvah, a funeral, at the cemetery at Ouderkek aan de Amstel. This is based upon the description made by L. Alvares Vega ז”ל (LAV), the guardian of the cemetery in the years 1937-1986.

Mind that is some cases a title is granted to a deceased man. This must be prepared before the Mitzvah, so it can be used during the Hashkavot, see more elsewhere on this site

Recordings: LAV.

All prayers can be found in the ומחה דמעה prayer book on pages 146-162

(*) No Techinot, so no Hesped and no Hakafot: Rosh Chodesh, all month of Nissan, 5, 14, 18 and 28 Iyar, 1-12 Siwan, 9 and 17 Av, eve of Rosh Hashanah, the month of Tishtri from 9^th, Hanukkah, 17 Shevat, 14 and 15 Adar Rishon and Purim two days.
And on these days no Techinot are said from noon (מנחה גדולה): Friday afternoon, eve Rosh Hodesh, eve 9 Ab, eve Hanukkah and eve Purim.

	Original text LAV scan and pdf (Dutch)
	Full description of the service as per 2017 (Dutch)
	Table for Chazzan of the service as per 2017 (Dutch) and “cheat sheet” used by HRP who was also caretaker of the cemetery for some years.
	The order is which men cover the grave.

The texts of hakafot and haschava are printed on two sides of wooden signs, available at the Beth Haim. The first two pictures show the signs, the last the short 

Below: the Metaheer house – Casa dos Rodeamentos (1705), the house of circuits named for the 7 circlings (הקפות) made around the casket of a man as it lies in the building before being carried to its burial spot in the grounds, as etched by Picart in the beginning of the 18th century, and how it looks after the renovation of 1966. Note the remarkable sculpture between the windows, in the picture shown on the right side.

Wooden box with sand from the grave, used to to cover the grave (Abelim throw three times two hands sand into the grave. If there are no Abelim, the chazzan throws three scoops sand, see Table for Chazzan)

Havra’ah: It is the custom to give the first meal (סעודת הבראה) on the cemetery. On Medianos (חול המועד) Sukkot the meal is given in the cabana (Sukka) and on Pesach, Matzot are served.
See instruction for the caretaker of Beth Haim  from approximately 1855