Hevra Kadisha or Burial Society :
Burial societies among Moroccan Jews were a corner stone of community organization and mutual support. Their members were volunteers who contributed to the community time and financial means and much more, they strengthened their communities in trying moments, in times of sickness and death. Burial societies operated under a variety of names such as ‘Hevra Kadisha’ or in short ‘Hevra’ (society), ‘Hevrat Rabbi Shimo’n Bar Yohay’ or in short ‘Hevrat Rabbi Shimo’n’ when abbreviated, ‘Hevrat Gomley Hassadim’ (Society of Mutual Assistance) or ‘Hevrat Hessed ve Emet’ (Society of charity and Truth). Membership in burial societies was based on voluntary participation and was rarely remunerated, although donations were common and usually intended for charitable purposes to benefit the needy rather than the burial society or its members. Furthermore, members often made significant contributions in funds to their societies in addition to volunteering their time. Contribution to burial societies activities was considered an honor and a sacred duty and their volunteers were highly respected. Volunteers tended to be older people with experience who did their work with great humility. Some were ordinary people with little education or low levels of theological literacy but the key organizers tended to be well versed in burial ritual practices and a few among them shared cross-membership in ‘Zohar Societies’ (Book of Splendor Study groups) because of the tradition of Zohar readings during the seven days of mourning.

Organizational structure :
Burial societies were organized according to a multi-functional division of labor as discussed below.

Service in humility :
Members of the burial societies kept a low profile in the community and performed their duties with pronounced modesty and most humble among them were the members of the Linat Zedek chapter. Modesty was required for a variety of reason. The principal reason is likely to be related to practices of avoidance. Community members at large tended to understate membership in burial societies to minimize discussions relating to death, bad news or bad news bearers. And although people knew that certain people were members of burial societies, they did not relate to them on the basis of burial related activities but as people involved in sacred activities. For this reason, burial societies were called ‘Hevra’ (society) rather than ‘Hevra Kadisha’ which insinuates burial activities. But there was another important reason for underplaying the important voluntary work members of burial societies did, their work was intended to be fulfilled without any sort of earthly compensation or recognition. It was done for heaven’s sake. Furthermore, some of the burial societies members held membership in ‘Zohar’ study groups and adepts of Zoharic thinking were bound to live in humility. This last trait is an underlying characteristic of learned people in Jewish Morocco, symbolized and represented most strongly by Rabbi Yaa’cov AviHatsira and his followers (interviews with Mordekhay, Sarah and Joseph El Hay Ani).