Headstone Dedication or Unveiling

There are few decisions in life as personal as deciding where you wish to be permanently memorialized. After all, it is a decision that extends into the lifetimes of your children and grandchildren: Where do you wish them to go to honor your memory and share their emotions? The best place to start is in the cemetery itself. Look around for examples of the types of markers that are available. Take a picture with your cellphone and show it to your marker dealer. They can guide you from there.

It is imperative that you coordinate the dedication or unveiling with the cemetery. Do NOT schedule this event until:

  • You have assurance from the manufacturer or dealer that the marker will indeed be delivered to the cemetery, or, if appropriate, directly to the grave, and
  • You have assurance from the cemetery that:the day, date and time are OK, meaning there are no conflicts in the cemetery schedule (bear in mind that funerals, if scheduled on short notice, sometimes cannot avoid your time and section), andthe marker will be properly installed and secured in time for your ceremony.
  • At this point, you should coordinate with your clergy, if a clergy-person is to be involved, to make sure that he/she is available at the time on the day/date you have selected.
  • Finally, you may contact the Cleveland Jewish News by phone at (216) 342-5213, by FAX at (216) 454-8200 or by e-mail (address is [email protected]) to place an unveiling notice. The CJN deadline is 5:00 PM on Monday for the following Friday edition.

You may also contact Shapiro Funeral Services by phone at (440) 498-1993 or e-mail at [email protected], and we will place your unveiling notice on the “community events” page on our web-site.

If you would like Kaddish cards or copies of our booklet “Prayers and Meditations for Visits to a Jewish Cemetery”, please call and we will be happy to provide them. These are very helpful for families who wish to conduct their own dedication ceremony.

Memorial Options for Cremation

There are numerous options available to those who select cremation. Some families choose to scatter the ashes discretely in a favorite place. Others choose to simply keep the ashes at home, waiting to be placed with a spouse or other family member at a later date. Shapiro Funeral Services will also store the ashes with some conditions. Still others will choose to bury the ashes in short order, or have them placed in a niche at a cemetery that has this option available. Keep in mind that not all Jewish cemeteries will allow placement of ashes. It is inappropriate to simply place ashes in a cemetery yourself, and doing so at a cemetery that forbids them could cause embarrassment to your family and possibly cause a legal problem for you. Call us at (440) 498-1993 and we will be glad to guide you through your options.