In the Jewish calendar, Rosh Hashanah is followed by Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, when observant Jews ask forgiveness for the sins of the past year and recommit to improving the next.
Mr Nemtsov revealed that the commission thought March 1 was the best day for the burial - it's the Sunday before Lent, a Russian Orthodox holiday known as Forgiveness Sunday, when believers repent their sins.