Cemetery FAQs
- A Jewish cemetery is considered consecrated ground where Jewish burial practices and customs are observed. A cemetery is a holy place-more sacred than a synagogue. The care of cemeteries is an essential religious and social responsibility.
- A Jewish cemetery has physical boundaries that sets the cemetery off from its surroundings, making it holy for Jews.
- A Jewish cemetery is owned by the Jewish community and is intended to serve the members of that community.
- Only Jewish symbols are permitted on a Jewish cemetery.
- Only Jewish clergy or lay people may officiate at a burial service or any other religious service on a Jewish cemetery.
- Perpetual care funds are managed by and for the care of the Jewish cemetery.
- The cemetery is closed on Shabbat and all Jewish holidays.
- Cremations are prohibited,
- Generally, disinterment is prohibited without the express permission of an affiliated Rabbi.
“Jewish gravestones are fairer than royal palaces” (Sanh 96b; cf. Matt. 23:29)
The cemetery does not sell plots. If you wish to purchase a plot in the cemetery, you need to talk to your temple and discuss the matter with them.
Park Synagogue, B’nai Jeshurun Synagogue, Taylor Road Synagogue and Zemach Zedek Congregation are affiliated with Bet Olam Cemetery.
If you are not a member of a temple associated with the cemetery, you can purchase a non-member plot form from either: Taylor Rd Synagogue (216-321-4875); Park Synagogue (216-371-2244) Ext. 3; or Zemach Zedek Congregation (216) 321-5169.
Jewish law prohibits the burial of cremated remains and the burial of persons who are not officially of the Jewish faith.
Perpetual care is an endowment fund, whose proceeds, only in the form of interest and dividends, may be used for the maintenance, supervision, improvement, and preservation of the cemetery.
Perpetual care does not ensure that every time that you visit a grave it will look pristine. It does mean that when you are concerned about your grave, whether it be the headstone, frame, plants, etc., you can contact the cemetery office and discuss the situation with the cemetery staff. The work (if it is within the cemetery staff’s ability) will be completed with no additional cost to the family.
Those graves without perpetual care will be charged for the requested work. Payment is required before the work is completed.
There is a security system in place at Bet Olam.
Perpetual care at Bet Olam brings comfort in the knowledge that our sacred grounds will be lovingly tended in Perpetuity.
If for some reason a grave that has been purchased will not be used, you can possibly donate it back to the synagogue from which it was purchased. This donation, if accepted, qualifies as a charitable contribution as synagogues are religious not-for-profit institutions.
Please contact the individual synagogue where the grave was purchased.
The custom of placing a monument over the grave of a departed person is a very ancient Jewish tradition. Dating to when Jacob erected a tombstone (Matzevah) over the grave of his wife Rachel.
The monument is erected to indicate clearly where a person is buried, so that family and friends may visit the gravesite. It is also a way of remembering and honoring the memory of the person who has died.
Today, we refer to the ceremony of formally consecrating a tombstone as an “unveiling.” While this ceremony has no origin in pre-modern Jewish life, this has become an acceptable practice today.
The unveiling provides mourners with the opportunity for emotional and psychological healing. Family members often gather, often from distant cities, and continue their mourning as a family, lending each other comfort and support in dealing with their grief. For individuals who were not able to attend the funeral or Shiva, the unveiling ritual provides an opportunity to grieve and to acknowledge one’s loss.
The service for the unveiling of a monument is a short and simple. It consists of the recitation of several Psalms; the removal of the veil from the memorial; the recitation of the Malei Rachamim (the Memorial Prayer) and the Kaddish. A Minyan (a gathering of 10 Jewish adults) is required for the recitation of Kaddish. If there is no Minyan available, the Kaddish is omitted. Many choose to appoint an officiating rabbi to conduct the unveiling, however, this is not mandatory.
At the unveiling, it is certainly appropriate for a family member to choose to speak about the person who has died, or to read a supplemental poem or prayer.
The cemetery does not provide anything for unveilings. Contact the memorial company to coordinate any furnishings.
The cemetery staff installs foundations and level and seeds sites a full 6 months after the interment of a loved one. For example: If a loved one passes away in January, their grave won’t be touched until the month July. The total process generally occurs within a year of the burial.
The process starts with the family choosing a local monument company to manufacture a headstone that meets the standards of the Cemetery. Bet Olam has strict rules and requirements as to the size and style of memorials. Prior to production of the headstone the monument company will send the cemetery a drawing with the dimensions and layout for approval. The cemetery will review the request to ensure that the size is correct. It is the responsibility of the family to ensure the spelling and dates are correct. When the stone is completed, it will be delivered to the cemetery and placed at the grave by the monument company. Headstones are not usually delivered to the cemetery during the winter months, as the cement for the foundation of a monument cannot be poured during that time.
The process of creating a headstone is long and exacting. Please be sure to ask the monument dealer when the stone will be completed so that enough time for the delivery of a quality gravestone is allowed.
It is customary to inscribe the Hebrew name of the deceased, his/her father’s Hebrew name, and the Hebrew date of passing, on the monument.
Only inscriptions that honor and respect the deceased will be accepted.
No, snow is an act of G-d and it is something that is out of the control of the staff of the cemetery. We do remove snow to get into areas for funerals and the general maintenance of the cemetery. We do our best to cause the least amount of disturbance to any and all grave sites during this time. Unfortunately, in some instances it can’t be avoided. We apologize for any inconveniences that this may cause.