seudat hevrah

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Pronunciations

seudat hevrah (seh-oo-DAHT hev-RAH) listen

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Definitions

  • n. The first meal that mourners eat after a funeral.

Example Sentences

  • "The seudat havara’ah is considered a private meal to be shared among immediate family members, not a public event where condolences are offered." (source)

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Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew

Etymology

  • סעודת הבראה 'lit. condolence meal'

      • Who Uses This

      • Religious: Jews who are engaged in religious observance and have some Jewish education

      Regions

      • North America

      Dictionaries

      • The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001).

      Alternative Spellings

      seudat hevra, seudat havra'ah, seudat havra'a, seudat havraah, seudat havraa, seudat havrah, seudat havra

Notes

  • "Traditionally the meal was prepared by neighbors and friends, although these days it may be ordered from a deli or caterer. In either case, the point is that the mourners need not concern themselves with daily chores like cooking. This is also the reason friends sometimes bring cake or other food with them when they make a shivah call. The seudat hevrah sometimes includes hard-boiled eggs and bagels, symbolic of new life and the circle of life, respectively." (JPS)

    See also se'uda.

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