HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo-funeralA. Cremations -About 200 cremations per year are anticipated, about 50 of which
involve a memorial service. The memorial service usually involves 20 to 50
people, lasts 2 to 3 hours and occurs generally between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.
B. Funeral-Jewish Tradition
1. It is considered disrespectful to not quickly bury the body. As such,
funeral arrangements are typically made on the date of death, and calling
and burial are either the following or the next day. Because the body is
quickly buried, embalming is the exception, and there is rarely visitation.
2. Traditional Jewish funerals involve burial and no embalming. About 80
Jewish funerals per year are expected. About twenty percent (20%) of
these result in grave-side services and will not, therefore, involve a
procession that starts at a funeral home. About 80% (about 64 per year) of
these will not involve grave-side services and will include a funeral
procession beginning at the funeral home. The funeral processions start
during the day, typically at 11:00 a.m. or 2:00 p.m. and, as such, do not
occur at a.m./p.m. peak hours. This is the only larger gathering that
occurs at the funeral home in connection with the traditional Jewish
funeral.
C. Funeral-Non-Jewish Tradition:
1. The non-Jewish tradition, custom and practice involves a greater time
between death and burial or cremation.
2. The non-Jewish tradition, custom and practice typically involves a calling
and a funeral procession, both of which originate at the funeral home.
3. A non-Jewish funeral home typically has a higher volume – there may be
multiple showing rooms and funerals occurring simultaneously.