Bodies Revealed, recently at the Hartford Civic Center, was promoted as "a groundbreaking exhibition that gives the public the unique opportunity to see first-hand the inner workings of the human body through authentic, preserved human body specimens...the exhibition encourages healthy lifestyle choices. Bodies Revealed will enlighten, empower, fascinate and inspire." The crowds included school children whose teachers wanted to reinforce classroom learning. The news reported that people stood in long lines to get in. I was not among them.

For a variety of reasons, I found the thought of going distasteful - and not because I'm particularly squeamish. With all due respect to the educational claims, and although they advertised that a percentage of the proceeds was to be donated to educational causes, I found the idea of this exhibit abhorrent.

According to Premier Exhibitions, the company that developed the display, these were: "preserved human body specimens." While I certainly don't claim the use of the word is linguistically inaccurate - its appearance in this context reminded me of the artificial grass used to cover mounds of earth at some cemeteries. Death is not pretty. At least the individual who wrote the caption for a photo on the Metrotix website had the honesty to describe the body depicted as, "A corpse on display..." My problem with the language? Neither word evokes the individuals those exhibited once had been.

Who were they and where did they come from? Many came from China. News reports (20/20, The Hartford Courant) questioned Premier Exhibitions' assertion that these bodies had been donated to science. Reporters suspected that the growth of companies processing bodies for exhibition resulted in a black market in bodies for sale: perhaps of executed Chinese prisoners. Premier Exhibitions denied this emphatically in letters to 20/20 and to their own shareholders.

Regardless of where these people came from, Jewish tradition teaches that the great respect due to all people while they are alive should be reflected in our care of their bodies once they die. This is called kavod hamet -- honor shown to a dead person. Upon their death, the remains of our loved ones are lovingly prepared for burial by members of our hevrah kadisha, holy society. While we understand and respect the customs of other religious traditions, we do not display the remains of our loved ones. In fact, unnecessary viewing of any body is considered an act of terrible disrespect to the deceased. Those training as medical professionals have a need. Jewish tradition teaches that the rest of us must be content with textbooks and other illustrations.

As a society we tend to focus more on technology and less on morality. The fact that the technology exists to preserve bodies in plasticene doesn't mean we have to use it. The reality is that it is possible to make models entirely out of plastic to illustrate human bodies, or body parts, in a variety of poses: lifelike and realistic. The likelihood is, however, that these would not attract the same attention. This leads me to suspect that many viewers were drawn more by the macabre than the educational. The various NCIS-type programs make it possible to view "corpses" every night on television and even to "witness" autopsies. What could be better than seeing bodies up close and personal? The problem is that getting used to doing so may deaden us to the humanity of others.

There's something else.

Just because I'm told something is good for me doesn't mean it's necessarily so. Especially if those making the claims have a financial stake in how I spend my time and money. And just because public relations people hype something as a once in a lifetime opportunity, doesn't mean I have to accept their assessment - even if those who agree form lines that stretch from here to kingdom come. As intelligent sensitive people, we have to decide for ourselves what will enlighten, empower, fascinate and inspire. Otherwise, we are as enslaved to the interests of others as if we had never left Egypt.