If you're a Jew, you just can't shop around for funerals. According to tradition, cremation is out. To make matters worse, traditional funeral service at one of Kansas City's few Jewish funeral homes can run over $10,000. That's ten grand for a box and some spoken Hebrew in a recently vacuumed room with a few jars of potpourri. Maybe a pot of coffee in the corner if you ask. And you still have to pay for the plot.
It's enough to make your dearly departed spin around in their overpriced
boxes.
But Rabbi Mark Levin of Congregation Beth
Torah in Overland Park -- who's been railing about the high cost of
funerals
for years -- recently started working with area funeral homes on
pricing, and he's having success.
A recent story in the Kansas City Jewish Chronicle profiles Levin's work to ensure that local Jews don't have to call a loan officer just to properly honor their friends and family. And in a recent synagogue bulletin, Levin praises Mount Moriah and Freeman Funeral Home and the Louis Memorial Chapel for working out "budget" funeral plans at his behest.
"The good news is that a respectful Jewish funeral is now available in Kansas City from two very reputable funeral homes for $6,000 or less," Levin writes.
Levin makes some excellent points, citing Jewish practices all the way back to the first century, when Rabbi Gamaliel started the tradition of burying Jews in the least expensive casket and least expensive clothing so that all could be equal in death. Also ... you know ... they're dead. So they're probably not overly concerned with the quality of the program's paper stock.
So take note, priests and ministers. The recession affects goyim, too, you know.
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Hi and thanks for the post. Great writing skill by the way. We all agree Humbuckers are made to rock, but they can also be of good use on many other music genres. Proof are jazz and mini humbuckers
even during funerals jews are cheap. sorry, if i didn;t crack this joke someonje else probably would have.
I didn't invent this,neither did Karl Marx.
Jewish Death Rituals According to Jewish Law
The body of the deceased is washed thoroughly.
The deceased is buried in a simple pine coffin.
The deceased is buried wearing a simple white shroud (tachrichim).
The body is guarded or watched from the moment of death until after burial.
Just before a funeral begins, the immediate relatives of the deceased tear their garments or the rabbi does this to them or hands them torn black ribbons to pin on their clothes to symbolize their loss.
Upon hearing about a death, a Jew recites the words, "Baruch dayan emet," Blessed be the one true Judge.
Now you are welcome to be buried in a pure gold sarcophagus in a pyramid for all I care. still won't make you any less of a prick.
Meesha, sounds like you are self hating. If everyone is supposed to be equal in death, why not make everyone equal in life too? Or is that what Karl Marx said....why does it all the sudden become equal in death?
I am not sure if Peter Rugg ever went to a Jewish funeral, but I have - several times. Funeral professionals are famous for up-selling people on their services exactly on that line:"your don't want to put your LOVED ones in that cheap box, after all they paid for your college, brand name diapers,car,wedding,etc". That's what makes them evil;as the quoted article (and other sources) state - the Jewish tradition is to make all people equal in death, and that's exactly how it should be. And for the most people, Jewish or not, 10K or even 6k is a lot of money they may not have to spend on something no one needs,just because some jackass is guilting them into buying it.
It is just as likely that funeral directors are fully aware that most people "could care less about potpourri and coffee since they just lost someone they love" and are not worried at all about the cost, SO THEY ADD UNNECESSARY COST IN knowing the bereaved aren't likely to scour the documents.
Personally, I like the least expensive casket and least expensive clothing approach because, after all, the dick-measuring has to end at some point...
I'm curious what the source of your angst towards funeral directors is, or, more importantly, your motivation. Who are you and why did you write this? Have you been to a lot of Jewish funerals?
Maybe, just maybe, people care about what "box' they put their beloved wife, mother or god forbid child in. And, maybe, just maybe, after someone dies tragically, they could care less about "potpourri" and "coffee" since they just lost someone they love. Is it possible at a time like that they want professional service, and low and behold, they are willing to pay for it??
I assume you think you are funny, but I don't think people who loose a child would think it is funny to picture them "spinning around in their boxes". I am not sure you have ever experienced a loss, at least a loss of someone you cared about. I would shudder to think you would be making my funeral arrangements.
There is more to funerals than just "boxes" and the charges involved. Not everyone is cheap, also, and are willing to pay over "ten grand" as you say to bury their parents who paid for their college and wedding, which probably totaled $100,000.
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