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When death is imminent,
families and friends need comfort, care, support,
and guidance. Oftentimes, difficult and complicated
decisions need to be made and the emotional
and spiritual needs are sometimes overwhelming.
Our rabbis are available for help during the
difficult days and hours that precede death,
whether your loved one is here in Houston or
out of town. Please contact one of them if you
want a rabbi to be with you.
When death occurs,
please notify the temple. If the office is closed
and you need the help of a rabbi, you may contact
one of them at home. He can help you with the
arrangements for a funeral service and answer
any other questions you might have.
There is no official
Jewish funeral home in Houston, but our rabbis
know which funeral directors are knowledgeable
about Jewish customs.
Cemetery Space:
Our cemetery is Emanu El Memorial Park, located
at 8341 Bissonnet. Members of the congregation
can purchase burial plots for themselves and
their families in advance or at the time of
death by contacting our executive director.
However, if you have plots elsewhere in Houston,
our rabbis will conduct a service at that cemetery.
Setting a time
for the service: The funeral date and time need
to be coordinated between the families, the
rabbi, and the funeral home. Please talk to
the rabbi before setting the time.
Memorial Candle:
Upon returning home from the funeral, it is
customary to light the Shiva (seven-day) Memorial
candle and place it in a public area of your
home, such as a living room or den. This candle
will be given to you by the rabbi or funeral
director.
Kaddish:
Families often choose to say kaddish at home
for family and close friends following the funeral.
You can arrange for a minyan service with the
rabbi at the same time you make the funeral
arrangements with himor you may attend the weekday
minyan service held at the temple. In addition,
the name of your loved one will be read at our
daily 6 pm worship service for one week and
at all Shabbat services the week of the funeral.
Yahrzeit:
On the anniversary of a death, a 24-hour Yahrzeit
(memorial) candle (available in grocery stores
or at our Judaica Shop) is lit by family members
and placed in a public area of your home. It
is lit at sundown of the day prior to the anniversary
of the death. Your loved one's name will be
read at the service that day and at all Shabbat
services that week. You will receive an advance
notice of the service times and dates for those
loved ones you have listed.
Yizkor:
Four times a year there is a special memorial
service in remembrance of all our deceased loved
ones. It takes place on Yom Kippur afternoon,
and on the mornings of the seventh day of the
holidays of Sukkot and Pesach, and the morning
of Shavuot.
Dedication of
Tombstone: A stone may be dedicated within
the first year (Jewish tradition suggests the
eleventh month.) Please set the date and time
for this ceremony with the rabbi. You can make
arrangements to purchase a stone from any monument
company. Most of them are familiar with the
requirements for stones at Emanu El Memorial
Park. Please call the Temple Office for assistance.
Memorial Tablets: On the walls in our Sanctuary
are bronze tablets which have been purchased
by family members in memory of loved ones. Lights
are illuminated by each plaque on the Yahrzeit
and at Yizkor time. Names on the memorial tablets
are automatically included in our Book of Memory
for Yom Kippur. The Temple Office will assist
you in arranging for a plaque.
Bereavement
Group: Our support group, facilitated by
a professional, meets on the lst & 3rd Mondays
at noon, offering opportunities to share with
others and receive support from them. Although
each loss is unique, the journey each mourner
must take is the same. Sharing that journey
with others often helps make the transition
much easier.
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We
suggest that you contact one of our rabbis early
during the pregnancy to discuss issues related
to a baby naming or brit milah ceremony.