Preface
WHEN DEATH IS IMMINENT OR HAS OCCURRED: Whom to Notify and what will they need to know
When death is imminent or has occurred, some immediate questions to address are:
- Who should be called first?
- If the death has occurred in a hospital or nursing home, the hospital or nursing home will contact the funeral home you have selected.
- Call 911 if death occurs at home or outside a facility to confirm death for a death certificate.
- Is there a designated agent or decision-maker to carry out the wishes of the deceased? If so, who is it? If not, who is authorized by law to make those decisions?
- Who will be asked to officiate at the funeral service?
- Which funeral home and which cemetery will be used?
With advance planning (See Section IA) documents will be prepared to identify the person to carry out one’s end-of-life wishes, as well as funeral and burial arrangements. Where there has been no such planning, New York state law sets out the order of priority for a surrogate decision-maker. [See Section IIA] (Note that in this Preface, the designated agent or surrogate will be referred to as “you.”)
The designated agent or surrogate will take the following steps:
- Even before the body is removed from the hospital, you will carry out the deceased’s wishes about organ donation and, if necessary, discuss with the clergy any issue about an autopsy.[See the sections later in this guide called “From Death through Burial,” Section IIA . and “Disposition of Remains,” Section IB.]
- If there are pre-arrangements, you will work with the designated funeral home. If there are no such arrangements, you will select and contact a funeral home and begin the discussion of funeral and burial arrangements. The funeral home will assist in gathering the required information. [See “Prearranging a Funeral Home,” Section IC, and “Funeral Homes and Cemeteries,” Section IIA.]
The Habonim clergy and community are available to support you and the family of the deceased. Habonim can assist you in making arrangements for the funeral service and burial and purchasing a grave at Cedar Park Cemetery, as well as understanding traditional Jewish practices.
To begin arranging a traditional Jewish funeral and burial, contact the Habonim clergy through the Habonim office (212-787-5347) to be put in touch with the Rabbi or other clergy as soon as possible. You will contact the officiating clergy and confer to plan for the scheduling of the funeral, funeral service, and burial. [See “The Funeral Service and Burial,” within Section IIA]
Links below will take you to the essential items that the clergy, the Habonim office, you, and the funeral home will need to plan for the funeral and burial.
After notifying the clergy, immediate tasks are:
1. Identify/pull together advance planning materials that include the deceased’s instructions or preferences, including who is to carry out the deceased’s wishes.
2. Authorize organ donation and/or discuss autopsy with the Rabbi if that is an issue. [See “Advance Planning,” Section IA]
3. Identify and contact the funeral home regarding arrangements, scheduling the funeral, and payment of fees. [See the sections on funeral homes at IC and IIA below.]
4. Discuss funeral and burial arrangements with the funeral home and clergy. The officiating clergy will usually meet with you and the family. The funeral home will coordinate with you, the cemetery, and the officiating clergy to set the date and time for the funeral service and burial.
5. Identify a gravesite. The deceased or family may already own one. If not, Habonim owns gravesites that may be purchased at Cedar Park Cemetery in Paramus, New Jersey. For burials at Cedar Park, complete the online form and work with the Habonim office to secure the required certificates for burial. The funeral home will coordinate for burials at other locations. (See “Prearranging a Cemetery,” Section IC.)
6. Provide the Habonim office (office@habonim.net) with the information needed by the clergy for the funeral service and the synagogue notice to the community. This will include:
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The full name of the deceased, and, if available, the Hebrew name, including the Hebrew name of the deceased’s father and mother;
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The deceased’s date of birth and date of death (before or after sundown);
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The names of the mourners (spouse, parents, children, siblings), as well as others bereaved whom the family wants to include in the announcement to the community.
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Funeral and burial information
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Shiva information
7. The Habonim office will send a notice to the community containing this information.
