What is a Yahrzeit?

While many people find meaning in marking the anniversary of someone’s death, Judaism is unique in having rituals for this commemoration, from lighting a candle to reciting Mourner’s Kaddish. But are those the only ways to observe a yahrzeit? Where did these rituals begin, and why? Check out the resources and writings we found:

• This website provides some basics about what a yahrzeit is, what some Jewish traditions are, and how to find out when to mark a yahrzeit.
• This article provides a more detailed overview of the origins of yahrzeit observance and more formal ritual observance.
• For those who are looking for a less traditional approach, there is an interesting essay on Ritualwell by a man who created his own ritual for observing a yahrzeit.
• If you need to find out a loved one’s yahrzeit date, or you have the Hebrew date and need to know how it corresponds to the English date, our website offers a yahrzeit date tool and you can print out a calendar at home or save a copy.

Whatever type of observance you choose, we hope you will find a ritual which is meaningful to you and serves to make your loved ones’ memories be a blessing.

Looking for the basics on retirement planning?

Join us for a luncheon to learn more!

Thursday, June 13th
12pm
Linwoods
25 Crossroads Drive
Owings Mills, MD

Presenters:

Brian Rubin, CRPC® and Financial Advisor
Benjamin F. Edwards & Co.

&

Eliza Feller, Director of Advance Planning and Funeral Director
Sol Levinson & Bros., Inc.

A vegetarian/fish meal will be served. No fee to attend. Attendance by reservation only, and space is limited.

RSVP by Tuesday, June 4th to Levinson’s via: 410-653-8900 or AskTheExpert@sollevinson.com

Sol Levinson & Bros. Advance Planning: Preparation, Education and Peace of Mind

Planning ahead is something that we are taught to do for most of our lives. We plan for all of life’s major milestones. But planning for a funeral…it is hard to even think about.

If you take a moment to consider all the benefits, you’ll soon understand why several hundred people a year come in to have this important conversation. Have you ever had to plan a funeral? If so, is that something you want your children to have to do for you? Do your children live out of town and have to arrange travel plans as well as handle details of the funeral?

To make this a little easier, we are going to start by answering a few common questions.

• I don’t want to think about my own funeral, or even that of a loved one. Why can’t we just deal with this later?
• What are the benefits of advance planning for a funeral?
• I’m not sick or old. Why should I talk about this depressing subject now?
• How does pre-payment work?
• We were told we have to spend down a loved one’s assets for Medicaid. What do I do?
• What actually happens at an Advance Planning discussion?

I don’t want to think about my own funeral, or even that of a loved one. Why can’t we just deal with this later?

Major life events require advanced planning, but it is easy (maybe even enjoyable) to plan for things that we are looking forward to. Of course, that is not the case for a funeral. No one looks forward to thinking about those details, but unfortunately this life cycle event requires planning just the same. Talking about death and funerals is never easy, but having this conversation ahead of time means that your family won’t have to do it while they also grieve.

What are the benefits of advance planning for a funeral?

Advance planning comes with many emotional, financial, and practical benefits for your family. When you take care of the details yourself, it allows you to protect your family from the burden of guessing at your wishes or making decisions during a very difficult time. Does your family sometimes disagree on things? Having your wishes put down on paper can help to keep peace between family members and allows them to focus on themselves and the grieving process. Knowing whether you want to be dressed in the traditional white burial shroud or your favorite sweater isn’t what your family should have to be concerned about.

In addition, one of the most obvious benefits of pre-paying is keeping your family from incurring the cost of the funeral. Funeral prices on average go up 2-4% a year. As someone recently said to us about pre-paying for their funeral, “It’s just common sense.” We’ve also heard “This is the greatest gift I can give my family.” We see that every day when families who have pre-paid just have to call us and schedule a funeral, and then go back to focusing on their family. For families that haven’t pre-paid, they instead need to come in and have one of the hardest conversations in the world, at one of the worst times in their life.

I’m not sick or old. Why should I talk about this depressing subject now?

We would argue that this is exactly the time you should be coming in to have this conversation. There’s no hiding the fact that we have seen how unexpected life can be. Having met with families suffering a sudden loss who are left directionless, we cannot overemphasize the importance of having honest conversations (with yourself and your family). We know this is not a fun or enjoyable conversation. However, we are here to help you through this process and make the conversation as easy as possible. Our funeral directors who specialize in Advance Planning are all individuals who sincerely believe they are helping you help your family.

How does pre-payment work?

Selecting the kind of funeral that you want also means that you get to control the cost. Taking the emotional aspect out of planning means you can make practical decisions that work for you and your family. And when you pre-fund your funeral through our special guarantee program, it allows you to lock in all of Sol Levinson’s costs indefinitely. The cost of a funeral goes up about 2% a year, so when someone in their 60s pays for those funeral costs now, they can potentially save their family thousands of dollars.

We were told we have to spend down a loved one’s assets for Medicaid. What do I do?

Pre-paying funeral expenses is one of the main ways for an individual to spend down in order to apply for Medicaid. When you pre-pay their funeral, those funds are no longer counted as their assets, and the financial burden doesn’t fall to your family when the time comes. We have all the proper paperwork for properly protecting assets according to Medicaid regulations.

We will meet with you at the funeral home in Pikesville, in your own home, at our Columbia Arrangement Center, or speak by phone to review important background information (such as statistical information for the death certificate) so your family does not have to search for information at the time of a funeral. Then, we go through all of the funeral options and advise you on any specific cemetery or clergy requirements, or options for alternative services if traditional burial is not in your plans, so you can decide what is best for you. We also talk about any specific requests you may have – a favorite song to be played, burial with your favorite fishing rod, your paintings to be displayed, a particular reading that you absolutely do NOT want read. All of this information is written into an Advanced Planning Guide and we keep a copy on file. This is a no-obligation meeting – no charge to meet with us, and no need to pay us if you aren’t ready to take that step.

The Advance Planning Guide holds all of your personalized information so your family can stay organized and have the resources they need in one centralized location. This guide will funeral-related items such as burial plot information, number of death certificates needed, family information for a death notice, etc., and also other important end of life matters. There is a section to keep contact information for attorneys, accountants, financial planners, keep track of usernames and passwords for online bill payments and social media, insurance and bank account information, and more. It also contains many resources for during and after the funeral such as information on our bereavement programs, unveiling information, tips on setting up a shiva house, and a checklist of places your family may need to notify.

In Conclusion…

We know that most people aren’t thinking about these things as they go about their daily life. However, as funeral directors, we constantly see the benefit of people planning ahead. It’s obvious everytime a daughter doesn’t have to come into the funeral home and select a casket because her mother has already done that very difficult part for her, or when a nephew doesn’t have to pay for his uncle’s funeral because he didn’t have any other family. We understand how difficult this conversation is, but we do everything in our power to make it as easy for you as we can.

Next Steps:

To talk to an Advance Planning specialist about any questions, or to learn more, please email PlanAhead@sollevinson.com or call 410-653-8900. To schedule an appointment, please see our Online Scheduler , call or email us. We are very flexible, so if you do not see a time listed on the online scheduler that works for you, please contact us directly.