Although the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) endorses pre-planning a funeral, it is an idea that can leave most people feeling a little uneasy. However, according to the NFDA, preplanning a funeral can offer great emotional and financial security and ensures that a funeral reflects what the deceased had wanted. It also frees families from making such important decisions at a stressful time.
The expense of a funeral can be great for a family at their time of grief. The lowest price offered by Gutterman and Musicant Jewish Funeral Directors, in Hackensack, is $4,245. This price, set in coordination with the RCBC, includes transfer from the place of death to Gutterman and Musicant’s refrigerated facility, the basic services of the funeral director and staff, a plain pine coffin and a shroud.
According to Richard Louis, director of Louis Suburban Chapel in Fair Lawn, the simplest funeral they can provide for a basic grave site and pine box is $2,800.
These prices don’t include shmira or tahara. However, the local chevra kadisha does provide these services for free. If a family chooses not to use the local chevra kadisha, funeral homes charge by the hour for a shomer. Louis Suburban Chapel charges $350 for tahara and $125 for each eight-hour shift for the shomer. If the shmira needs to be done over a weekend, it could get very expensive.
Additional expenses of a funeral can include the purchase price for the cemetery plot, which can be $250–$3,300. Many funeral homes also charge for opening and closing the grave, adding $350–$3,000 to the total costs, depending on location and whether it’s a public or private cemetery. Some cemeteries require the use of a grave liner or burial vault, which can cost $400–$1,000. Deciding to bury a loved one in Israel will also require additional expenses.
“However,” said Louis, “if a family comes in here and they need financial help, we will bend over backwards to help.”
With all the extra expenses, pre-planning is greatly encouraged by funeral directors so that family members don’t spend money unnecessarily in their time of grief. “Jewish funerals are supposed to be simple and in good taste,” said Louis.
All or part of a funeral can be pre-planned. Normally, this includes choosing the plot, monument, casket, ceremony and transportation.
Some people choose to handle the pre-planning expenses before the actual death. Money is held in an escrow account and managed by the funeral home. The costs of all things are determined before the actual funeral. Once the death occurs, the funds are released to pay for the pre-planned funeral arrangements.
In New Jersey, individuals can pre-pay their funeral expenses by putting their money in the New Jersey Prepaid Funeral Trust Fund™. This trust is managed by the New Jersey State Funeral Directors Association, Inc., which currently administers more than 45,600 consumer accounts in more than 600 funeral home locations.
The funeral expenses can also be paid for at the time of need. This does not prevent all the arrangements from being completed ahead of time. Instead, only the financing is left pending. Sometimes the family members set up a special account, or the pre-planned arrangements are paid for by an insurance settlement.
By Tova Domnitch
