FAQ

Traditional Jewish burial practices emphasize respect for the deceased and simplicity. This includes prompt burial, typically within 24 hours if possible, to honor Jewish customs. The body is ritually cleansed in a ceremony called Tahara, performed by a Chevra Kadisha (sacred burial society), and wrapped in a plain white shroud. A simple, wooden casket without metal is often used, symbolizing equality and humility. Our staff is available to guide families through these traditions while accommodating any personal preferences.

Yes, we welcome interfaith families with respect and understanding. We offer customized services that blend traditions and allow family members of different faiths to participate in ways that honor their beliefs. Whether it’s integrating cultural customs or planning interfaith rituals, our team ensures that services reflect the diversity of each family’s background with sensitivity.

Traditional Jewish customs generally prefer burial, as it aligns with the belief in returning the body to the earth. However, some families choose cremation due to personal or practical reasons. Our funeral home respects each family’s decision and offers support and information on both options, helping you make a choice that aligns with your family’s values.

Absolutely. Preplanning allows you to make decisions in advance, easing the burden on family members and ensuring that your wishes are respected. We offer a range of preplanning options, including selecting specific service elements, cemetery plots, and pre-arranging religious customs. Our experienced counselors guide families through every step, from choosing service details to understanding financial options.

A Jewish funeral service is typically brief, focusing on respect and simplicity. It often includes prayers, Psalms, and eulogies that honor the life of the deceased. Out of respect, there is usually no music, flowers, or elaborate decorations. Services may be held at the synagogue, funeral home, or graveside. Our staff is available to help plan and personalize the service, providing information on what to expect and any specific customs your family may wish to observe.

In accordance with Jewish law, we do not perform burials on the Sabbath or certain Jewish holidays. However, we work closely with families to schedule the earliest possible time following the holiday or Sabbath. Our staff is sensitive to the importance of timely burial and is committed to providing flexible, compassionate scheduling options that respect Jewish traditions.

Yes, Jewish traditions naturally align with eco-friendly burial practices, emphasizing simplicity and respect for the earth. We offer green burial options, including biodegradable shrouds and caskets, in areas of the cemetery dedicated to eco-friendly practices. Our team can provide more information on green burials and help you make arrangements that honor both faith and environmental values.

Families are encouraged to bring items of personal significance, such as a photo or small memento, to the service if they wish. It is not customary in Jewish tradition to bring flowers to the funeral, but guests may bring food or donate to charity in memory of the deceased. Our staff is available to provide guidance on customs and help you prepare for a meaningful service.

Commemorating Yahrzeit, the anniversary of a loved one’s passing, is an important tradition in Judaism. This day is marked by lighting a memorial candle, reciting the Kaddish prayer, and attending synagogue. We provide resources to help families observe Yahrzeit, including reminders for the date each year and suggestions for meaningful ways to honor the memory of the deceased.

We understand that mourning is a deeply personal journey. Our funeral home provides resources to support families during this difficult time, including monthly grief support groups and counseling referrals, assistance with organizing Shiva, and guidance on Jewish mourning customs like Kaddish prayers and commemorative practices. We’re here to help families find comfort and peace as they honor their loved ones.

We offer support to families who need to transport their loved ones back for a traditional Jewish burial. Our team coordinates with funeral homes and services in other locations, handling all necessary logistics and documentation for a seamless transition. This service includes liaising with airlines, customs, and local agencies to ensure a respectful and timely return.

Yes, we assist families in planning unveiling ceremonies, which typically take place around the one-year anniversary of the burial. This ceremony involves unveiling the headstone and gathering for prayers and reflection. Our staff can help with scheduling, service details, and arranging for clergy, allowing families to commemorate the loved one’s life meaningfully.

Yizkor is a memorial prayer recited on certain Jewish holidays in memory of loved ones who have passed. We can provide information about local Yizkor services and offer guidance on observing this custom, including how and when to recite the prayer. Our funeral home may also host Yizkor gatherings, providing an opportunity for communal remembrance and support.

We offer guidance on selecting a headstone that reflects Jewish customs and your family’s wishes. Jewish headstones often include Hebrew inscriptions, the deceased’s Hebrew name, dates, and sometimes an epitaph. Our staff can help you design and inscribe a respectful and meaningful marker, working with trusted local providers.

We respect the diverse customs within Jewish culture, including traditions from Ashkenazi, Sephardic, and Mizrahi communities. Our team is knowledgeable about these practices and offers customizable services to ensure that specific cultural or religious needs are met, from the way rituals are conducted to burial arrangements.

Out of respect for Jewish tradition, it’s best to avoid overly bright or casual attire at the funeral. Traditional clothing choices include modest, dark-colored clothing. Out of respect, flowers are generally not brought to Jewish funerals. Instead, guests may choose to donate to charity in the deceased’s memory or bring food to assist with the Shiva period.

Our cemetery provides perpetual care for all gravesites, ensuring they are maintained respectfully and in line with Jewish customs. This includes regular landscaping, upkeep of pathways, and periodic inspections of headstones. Families may also request additional services, such as placing stones on graves or cleaning, as part of our commitment to honoring loved ones.

Kaddish is a traditional Jewish prayer recited by mourners for eleven months following a parent’s passing or for thirty days for other relatives. Any Jewish person can say Kaddish, and family members often attend synagogue regularly during this period to say the prayer in a supportive community. We can provide information about local synagogues and help connect you with resources for fulfilling this tradition.

Shiva is a mourning period, often lasting seven days, during which immediate family members receive visitors to honor the deceased and offer comfort. Our funeral home can provide guidance on Shiva customs, including setting up a Shiva space, providing chairs for mourners, or arranging for condolence meals. We also offer support for creating a comforting environment that respects this tradition, allowing family and friends to gather in remembrance.

Jewish cemetery plots are designed to honor traditional values of simplicity and respect. Some cemeteries, including ours, may offer family sections, sections dedicated to specific congregations, and plots specifically designated for interfaith families. Our staff can assist you in selecting a plot that best fits your family’s needs, including guidance on the traditional layout and spacing of Jewish burials.

If traditional burial is included in your loved one’s final wishes, then yes, cemetery property will need to be purchased to provide a dignified and final resting place for your loved one. In addition to cenotaph walls and idyllic ground properties, we also provide green burial spaces for sustainable options. For those who choose our concierge cremation services, a wide assortment of cremation markers and boulders are available in Gan Eden. Our dedicated team of funerary directors can also help you scatter cremains in special locations of your choosing, by land, sea, or air. 

In Jewish tradition, funerals are scheduled as quickly as possible after a death – sometimes as soon as 24 hours afterward. At Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary, Funerals are scheduled to be compatible with the availability of family, clergy. While we strongly suggest prompt planning to help begin the mourning process, we also understand everyone grieves at their own pace. We will do everything in our power to help you plan on a schedule that works for you.

After a loss, an obituary is important to memorialize their life and properly notify the public of their passing. Our dedicated team of staff can help you write an obituary that honors your loved one’s legacy, or we can host one that you and your family has written on our obituary page. The page hosts tributes to lives well lived and acts as a gathering space for visitors to share comments and pay their respects.

We honor the unique traditions and values of every family brought into our care. Our funeral directors are pleased to coordinate traditional burial rituals like Taharah and to help hire a Shomer to perform Sh’mirah for those who desire them.

At a Jewish funeral, the person who traditionally speaks is often determined by the family’s wishes and the customs of their community.  Our expert staff coordinate with clergy and celebrants to ensure Rabbis, Cantors, and other speakers who with cherished values are available to help honor your loved ones. We are also happy to assist family and friends prepare their own remarks with compassionate service that honors your loved one.

Family and friends may wish to bring photos and collages to memorialize their loved ones. Our team of Funeral Directors are ready to help provide help framing and displaying these photos to honor the deceased and celebrate their lives. Our large and small sanctuaries also feature large flat screen monitors which may be used to host slideshows and video montages.

Music can be an important part of cueing phases of the funeral service and accenting portions of the ceremony. Our compassionate staff and funeral directors can help find and book live musicians for your service, or would be pleased to help create a digital music program to be played during the ceremony in accordance with your wishes.

Flowers provide colorful and beautiful accents to dignified funeral services. Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary is also pleased to offer floral services featuring a wide array of bouquets and arrangements for funeral services, and year-round floral services for their marker.

Providing elevated, dignified transportation for the deceased and the family is crucial to ensuring every detail honors your loved one’s legacy. We offer limousines for families and hearses for the deceased to ensure every step of your memorial is professionally and elegantly executed for your family.

Honoring the deceased by placing them in their favorite clothes is one way to help memorialize their life and carry out their final wishes. At Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary, we also offer an exceptional selection of burial jewelry and accessories to lay your loved one to rest with dignity and grace.

Using makeup for open-casket funerals helps restore a natural and peaceful appearance, allowing loved ones to focus on cherished memories rather than the physical signs of passing. We thoughtfully prepare your loved one with consideration for how they appeared in life to ensure this practice provides dignity, closure, and a comforting environment during a deeply emotional time.

At Hillside Memorial Park, we style the hair of the deceased according to their family’s wishes, ensuring their individuality and dignity are honored. Providing photographs from life helps our caring professionals recreate meaningful details, offering comfort and familiarity in the final ceremony.

A reception after a funeral offers a meaningful opportunity for family and friends to gather, share memories, and find comfort in community during a time of loss. Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary can assist in planning every detail, from catering and floral arrangements to music and the use of our intimate or spacious sanctuaries, creating a thoughtful and personalized setting for reflection and connection.

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These are just a few important questions and steps to be taken after a time of loss. For a more comprehensive list of actions and services at Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary, download our “Time of Loss – What Needs to be Done” PDF.