1. Man, every day I am happy that my entire family already knows my opinion on difficult topics like cremation vs. burial. Usually I say this about other topics like LGBTQ issues (if you wait until your children are grown to tell them you won't mind if they're gay, you've waited entirely too long) but stuff regarding death is a close second. My guess is the kids would not be throwing this hissy fit about Mom's cremation now if they'd known about it for the past 30 years. They would've had time to get used to it, and also, it's very likely that some of their freakout has to do with the reminder of her impending death rather than the specifics of what she wants to happen to the body. Oh, not that their religious views aren't sincere, I'm sure they are - but it's a complicated emotional stew.

For the record, I want to be cremated unless human composting is an option wherever I happen to die, in which case, compost all the way. Also, yes on all organ donations.

2. Those parents should be ashamed of themselves. Many commenters pointed out that Jewish law may be entirely irrelevant anyway, because it's very possible that the legal law in their state prohibits this sort of discriminatory disinheritance anyway. Others reminded LW that Mom and Dad can leave everything to one child, but they can't keep that child from splitting the money up after the fact.