Graveside Service

Graveside funeral services are held at the place of interment (e.g. at a grave, mausoleum crypt, or in the case of a cremation, a columbarium niche).

A Jewish graveside service is where family and friends gather and meet together at the cemetery, usually accompanying the deceased all the way to the grave and assisting with the burial. Following the procession to the cemetery (after the hearse reaches the site), family members and friends roll or carry the casket to the actual gravesite, traditionally pausing several times along the way as a sign of grief.

After the casket is lowered into the grave, friends and relatives of the deceased help shovel earth on top of the casket—an act that helps bring closure to those left behind. During this time, a justification of the divine decree or tzidduk hadin is read while the mourners recite the burial Kaddish. After the ceremony, mourners pass through a line of their friends to receive their condolences on their way back to the hearse and away from the burial site.

Planning a graveside service with Weinstein Chapels usually involves meeting the funeral director at the entrance of the cemetery or where the Main Office of the gravesite is. This way, everyone can be escorted to the actual burial site by the cemetery staff.

Graveside services are typically shorter than a formal chapel service. There are less amenities, which keeps the ceremony simple. Cemeteries do provide chairs and/or tents for more involved ceremonies.

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Associations & Partners

Metropolitan Funeral Directors Association
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National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA)
New York State Funeral Directors Association
PrePlan A Service You Can Trust
KAVOD - The Independent Jewish Funeral Chapels

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