Question: Are Jews not embalmed before burial?
Answer: Certainly it is not the law in America that all bodies be embalmed. If it were, American Jews, as citizens of that country, would follow this law.
Jewish law demands immediate burial. At the most, Jews should be buried within three days of their death. Thus, embalming is rarely required and Jews are not generally embalmed.
It may well be that embalming is required in certain circumstances, like when the body is being transported from one place to another. It is sometimes claimed that a funeral home wants to add embalming for the profit motive. Today there is less "need" for embalming than in the past as funeral homes have much better refrigeration than in previous decades. With a little bit of research one can determine what the rules are in any particular situation. Early in my career, I learned to contact a reliable public official or funeral home director for answers.
All in all, I support the tradition of returning the body to the earth. Centuries from now it is possible that we will provide nourishment to the land which will provide nourishment to life. It's the Jewish "circle of life."
