Chicago Jewish Funerals

We began as a promise to the Jewish community: to provide highly personal funeral services that respect each family's wishes and the strong traditions of the Jewish people. Chicago Jewish Funerals remains independent and is not part of any national funeral corporation, which allows services to be tailored to each family.

Service area

• Serves families throughout the Chicagoland area.
• Supports families across the spectrum of Jewish observance, with attention to individual customs and traditions.

Chapel locations

Buffalo Grove Chapel

• Address: 195 N. Buffalo Grove Road, Buffalo Grove, IL 60089.

Skokie Chapel

• Address: 8851 Skokie Boulevard, Skokie, IL 60077.

How to contact Chicago Jewish Funerals

• Main phone (immediate assistance, day or night): 847-229-8822
• General email: info@chicagojewishfunerals.com

Families are encouraged to call anytime, day or night, for funeral planning, pre-planning, special requests, or support.

Community involvement

Chicago Jewish Funerals supports synagogues, education programs, community events and local initiatives. The team views its work as life-affirming, helping families through loss while remaining active in community life.

When a death occurs, families are often emotionally stressed and under time pressure. Pre-planning can:

• Provide clear direction on your wishes for services, burial and other details.
• Reduce the number of decisions your family must make during a time of grief.
• Help organize important documents and information in advance.
• Allow you to discuss and choose options that are meaningful, appropriate and affordable.

Arrangements can be made at your home or at one of Chicago Jewish Funerals' locations, with guidance from a pre-planning professional.

What can be decided in advance

Through pre-planning, you can document preferences such as:

• Type and location of service.
• Choice of cemetery and burial arrangements.
• Casket selection and other merchandise.
• Clergy or officiant preferences.
• Special service elements that are important to you.

Chicago Jewish Funerals also offers a pamphlet, "Respect My Wishes – a guide for my loved ones," to help you record information and instructions if you become seriously ill or are unable to express your wishes.

Funding pre-arrangements

Pre-arranged funeral plans are typically funded through life insurance in accordance with Illinois law.

• Funds for pre-arrangements are held in a whole-life insurance policy with National Guardian Life Insurance Company (NGL).
• Guaranteed funeral charges can be locked in at today's prices, protecting against future cost increases.
• Certain charges that are not controlled by the funeral home (such as newspaper notices, clergy honoraria, airfare or other third-party expenses) are treated as non-guaranteed and are reconciled at the time of service, resulting in either a balance due or a refund to the family.

Excess funds

If the growth of the policy exceeds the actual funeral charges:

• Chicago Jewish Funerals does not keep the excess growth.
• Any unused funds are returned to the family at the time of service.

Payment options and public-aid planning

• Payment plans may be available for 3, 5, 10 or 20 years, depending on age and responses to basic health questions.
• Prepaid funeral arrangements can be used as a spend-down strategy when applying for public aid, because properly structured prepaid funeral funds are generally exempt. Any excess funds in the policy may be returned to the State of Illinois at the time of death if required by public-aid rules.

Families should consult their own advisors regarding legal or tax questions.

Changing, cancelling, or transferring pre-arrangements

• Pre-arrangements can be updated. Families often call to revise their wishes over time.
• The insurance policy can usually be cancelled and refunded in full within a specified initial period (for example, within 30 days), and later for its cash value.
• If you move or die out of state, the policy remains in effect. Another funeral home may provide services, but that funeral home is not required to honor the specific contract terms written with Chicago Jewish Funerals.
• If Chicago Jewish Funerals were ever to go out of business, the policy would still be held by National Guardian Life Insurance Company and could be applied to another funeral home, though the original guaranteed charges might not apply.

If you have already pre-arranged with another funeral home, it is often possible to transfer the policy to Chicago Jewish Funerals by having the insurance company change the funeral home named on the policy.

Life insurance vs. pre-arranged funerals

General life insurance and pre-arranged funeral policies serve different purposes:

• Standard life insurance can take weeks or months to pay out and does not guarantee funeral charges.
• A properly structured pre-arrangement is designed specifically to fund funeral expenses and to guarantee covered charges regardless of future price increases.

Who should know about your pre-arrangements

Chicago Jewish Funerals recommends that you:

• Inform close family members that pre-arrangements are in place.
• Provide at least one trusted person with a copy of your contract or a summary of what was arranged.
• Notify key professionals as appropriate (for example, attorney, doctor, hospice provider, financial advisor, or clergy).

Designating Chicago Jewish Funerals without full pre-planning

For those not ready to complete full pre-arrangements, Chicago Jewish Funerals offers a simple way to designate the funeral home as your provider of choice.

• You can request personalized cards noting that you wish Chicago Jewish Funerals to care for you and your family.
• Cards can be shared with family members and kept in a wallet or purse so loved ones know whom to call at the time of need.

For questions or to begin pre-planning:

• Call 847-229-8822
• Email planahead@chicagojewishfunerals.com

Getting started

When a death occurs or is expected soon, families are encouraged to call Chicago Jewish Funerals. A funeral director will:

• Explain the steps involved in arranging a Jewish funeral.
• Help schedule a time to meet in person or talk by phone.
• Coordinate with clergy, cemetery, and other service providers as needed.

Key decisions in planning a funeral

Funeral arrangements typically include decisions about:

• Service location – chapel, graveside, synagogue, or other appropriate setting.
• Date and time of the service.
• Cemetery for burial.
• Casket and outer burial container – with guidance on traditional Jewish choices.
• Clergy or officiant for the service.
• Special service elements – such as music, photo montage, live musicians or additional speakers.
• Death notice and obituary information.
• Shiva home and timing of Shiva.
• Pallbearers and who will speak at the service.
• How to inform family and friends about service and Shiva details.

Information to have available

Having the following information ready can help the arrangement conference go smoothly:

• Deceased's Social Security number.
• Date of birth.
• Parents' names.
• Military discharge papers (if the deceased was a veteran).

What happens at the funeral service

A Jewish funeral service may include:

• Psalms and other scriptural readings.
• A eulogy (hesped) delivered by clergy and/or family members.
• Additional speakers chosen by the family.

Chicago Jewish Funerals works with clergy and families to create a service that is meaningful, appropriate and affordable.

What happens at the cemetery

At the cemetery:

• Pallbearers may carry the casket to the grave.
• Some follow the tradition of pausing with the casket up to seven times on the way to the grave (generally determined by the clergy).
• After final prayers, family and friends are invited to participate in placing earth in the grave, a traditional act that can help with acceptance and closure.
• The clergy recites El Maleh Rachamim, and mourners recite the Mourner's Kaddish, a prayer that reaffirms life.

After the funeral: Shiva

After the burial, it is customary for family and friends to return home to sit Shiva:

• A bowl of water and a cup may be placed outside the home so visitors can symbolically cleanse themselves as they return from the cemetery.
• A Shiva candle, often provided by Chicago Jewish Funerals, is lit immediately upon returning home.
• Friends typically provide the meal of condolence, and tradition includes round foods such as hard-boiled eggs to signify the cyclical nature of life.

The word *Shiva* comes from the Hebrew for seven, reflecting the traditional seven-day initial mourning period.

Children and funerals

Chicago Jewish Funerals welcomes children at funeral services.

• Many experts suggest that if a child is old enough to talk, they may be asked whether they want to attend.
• When needed, the funeral home can provide a separate room with coloring books and crayons where a child can sit.
• The service can be viewed from this room on a monitor if the family wishes.

Policies and assistance

• Food and drink in the funeral home – Food and drinks are not permitted to be brought into the funeral home. When a Shiva is held at one of the chapels, food and drinks are catered.
• Veterans' benefits – Chicago Jewish Funerals helps families with the paperwork needed to apply for VA funeral and cemetery benefits when a veteran dies.
• COVID-19 funeral assistance – Families of someone whose death was attributed to COVID-19 may be eligible for FEMA reimbursement. Chicago Jewish Funerals can help families gather the necessary documentation.

Families are encouraged to contact the funeral home directly with any specific questions or special requests.

For centuries, Jewish burial has emphasized simplicity, dignity and a natural return to the earth:

• No embalming.
• Simple wooden caskets without metal.
• Natural decomposition, allowing the body to return to the earth.

These practices match many of the values people seek today in environmentally conscious or "green" burial options.

Jewish burial as naturally green

Traditional Jewish burial typically includes:

• No embalming – the body is not preserved with chemicals.
• Plain wooden casket – biodegradable and free of metal or synthetic materials.
• Natural decomposition – consistent with the teaching, "For dust you are, and to dust you shall return."
• Preparation with dignity – care provided according to Jewish law and custom, often by members of a Chevra Kadisha.

These elements reflect both respect for the deceased and concern for the natural world.

How Chicago Jewish Funerals supports green burial

Chicago Jewish Funerals has practiced these traditional, environmentally conscious burial customs since its founding.

• Emphasizes simple, natural materials such as wood and linen.
• Avoids unnecessary chemicals and non-biodegradable materials.
• Helps families choose options that honor both Jewish tradition and their environmental values.

Families interested in green burial can speak with a funeral director about:

• Casket options that are fully biodegradable.
• Cemetery sections or policies related to natural burial.
• How traditional Jewish practices can align with personal environmental priorities.

Common questions about green burial in a Jewish context

Is Jewish burial considered a green burial? Traditional Jewish burial avoids embalming, uses simple biodegradable caskets, and allows natural decomposition. These features meet many of the standards associated with modern green burial.

Are biodegradable caskets allowed? Biodegradable wooden caskets are more than allowed; they are the traditional Jewish standard—simple, plain and free of metal or synthetic materials.

Are Jewish cemeteries environmentally friendly? Jewish burial practices are often environmentally conscious in that they avoid embalming chemicals and rely on biodegradable materials. Specific policies can vary by cemetery and section.

Can someone choose natural burial within Jewish law? Natural burial is fully consistent with Jewish law when done according to traditional practices. Jewish custom has long emphasized burial that is simple, dignified and in harmony with the earth.

Next steps

Families who wish to explore green burial or other options are encouraged to speak directly with a funeral director.

• Phone: 847-229-8822
• Email: info@chicagojewishfunerals.com

Chicago Jewish Funerals will listen, answer questions, and help you choose arrangements that reflect your values and traditions.

Tahara – ritual preparation

Tahara is the traditional ritual washing and purification of the deceased.

• Performed by members of a Chevra Kadisha (holy society) when the family wishes.
• The body is treated with great respect, modesty and care.

Tachrichim – burial garments

Tachrichim are simple white burial garments.

• Symbolize that all are equal in death.
• Reflect the belief that people are judged by their deeds, not material possessions.

Aron – traditional wooden casket

The Aron is the traditional Jewish wooden casket.

• Made entirely of wood, with no metal in its construction or ornamentation.
• Designed to allow a natural return to the earth.
• Traditional caskets are not manufactured on Shabbat or Jewish holidays.

Shomer – traditional guardian

A Shomer (guardian) is sometimes arranged by the family.

• The Shomer sits with the deceased from the time of death until the funeral.
• Recites psalms and prayers and may study Torah on behalf of the deceased.

Other Jewish funeral traditions

Kriah – tearing as a sign of grief

During or before the funeral, mourners may participate in Kriah, the tearing of a ribbon or a piece of clothing to express grief.

• Those mourning a parent wear the ribbon or torn garment on the left side, over the heart.
• Those mourning other relatives (spouse, sibling, child) wear it on the right side.

Cemetery customs

• Pallbearers may carry the casket to the grave.
• In some traditions, the casket pauses up to seven times on the way to the grave (determined by the clergy).
• After final prayers, family and friends are invited to place earth into the grave, a final act of honor and participation.
• The clergy recites El Maleh Rachamim.
• Mourners recite the Mourner's Kaddish, a prayer that reaffirms life and is traditionally recited for eleven months less one day for a parent.

After the funeral – Shiva

After burial, family and friends return home to sit Shiva.

• Shiva is the initial seven-day mourning period.
• Customs include lighting a Shiva candle and receiving visitors who come to offer comfort and support.

Yahrzeit candle

Each year on the Jewish anniversary of a loved one's death, it is customary to light a Yahrzeit candle.

• Chicago Jewish Funerals can help families determine the correct Jewish date.
• Families light the candle at home on the evening before the Yahrzeit, since Jewish days begin in the evening.

Unveiling of the headstone

The unveiling or dedication of the headstone (Hakamat Matzeivah) takes place at a later date.

• Some families hold it shortly after Shiva; others wait up to a year.
• The stone is covered until the brief ceremony, when it is "unveiled".
• Psalms are recited and brief reflections about the deceased may be shared.

Glossary of key terms

• Chevra Kadisha – "Holy society"; group of men or women who care for the deceased, often performing Tahara.
• Hesped – Eulogy delivered in memory of the deceased.
• Kaddish – Prayer recited by mourners, affirming God and life.
• Kever – Grave.
• Kevura – Burial.

Families are encouraged to discuss their specific customs and level of observance with their clergy and funeral director so that traditions are honored in a manner that is appropriate for them.

Ask anyway — the agent will say plainly that it is not published rather than guess.