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PJCEA
BURIAL AND FUNERAL FACILITIES – FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Exactly What Are the PJCEA's Burial and Funeral Services? First of all, you should be aware that the PJCEA does not have a burial fund. The cost of the funeral, plot and burial are to be met by the family of the deceased. Why doesn't the PJC have a burial fund? Most Liberal Judaism communities outside London are too small and newly established to have their own burial fund. The cost of financing such a fund would necessitate membership subscription rates thought to be unacceptably high. What does the PJC offer? The burial and funeral facilities organised by such communities, including the PJCEA, include
These services are provided to Full Members at no cost. Stone Setting While PJCEA is willing and able to advise, all costs will need to be met by you directly. Where Can I Be Buried or Cremated? There are two "local" cemeteries with Jewish sections, namely
The Jewish section of the Norwich City cemetery is under the administrative supervision of the Norwich Hebrew Congregation. The Jewish section of the Yarmouth District Council cemetery is not consecrated ground. Burial plots are also available at the Colney Wood Woodland Burial Park. There are local authority Crematoria in Norwich (Earlham Road) and Gorleston (Oriel Avenue). Ashes may be interred and/or scattered at the crematoria, at the Jewish Cemetery, Bowthorpe Road, Norwich and at Colney Wood. The PJCEA has reached an understanding with the Norwich Hebrew Congregation that you can be buried in Norwich if any of the following criteria apply
Okay, so although I am not halachically Jewish, I can be buried in Norwich. What if I want to be cremated? As long as you meet the conditions for burial, you may be cremated and your ashes interred in Norwich. No. Burial in the Jewish section of the Norwich City Cemetery on Bowthorpe Road is restricted to those who are regarded as either halachically Jewish or who are regarded as Jewish for the purposes of membership of the PJCEA. But what if my partner plans to be cremated. Can I have my ashes interred in Norwich, also? No. The same restrictions apply. Do the same burial restrictions apply at Caister? The Jewish section of the cemetery at Caister is not consecrated ground, although cemetery authorities have indicated that plots will not be disturbed for a hundred years. It is available for the use of PJCEA members and Friends of the PJCEA. The Liberal Judaism rabbinic requirement is that non-Jewish partners and Friends should have been sympathetic to Judaism, supportive of the Jewish upbringing of their children, where appropriate, and of whom it could be said they have led a broadly Jewish life. No non-Jewish symbols are permitted in the Jewish section of the cemetery. Interment of ashes is permitted. It is possible at Caister to be buried in-depth. This means that the first burial on a plot is at a greater depth, and the second burial is in the same plot at a lesser depth. This practice has been adopted by many other Jewish communities and has been approved by the Liberal Judaism Rabbinic Conference. The method is generally only adopted where the second (or upper) burial is the spouse or brother/sister/son/daughter/mother/father of the first deceased, and where the next of kin, at the time of the first death, approve. If you wish to join the PJCEA from another Liberal Judaism congregation you can do so in the knowledge that your burial rights will be maintained by your original congregation if you so wish. You would be expected to meet the cost of the original congregation's scheme, with payment administered by the PJCEA if you wish but you bear the cost. Your payments are unlikely to cover the cost of removal of the body to the original congregation or travel be the original congregation's local undertakers to East Anglia and you will need to make arrangements for those costs to be met directly. What are the likely costs of the funeral, plot and burial? Charges depend on several factors, including whether burial or cremation is required, whether the Norwich or Caister cemetery or Colney Wood is used and whether or not the deceased was a council tax payer in Norwich or Yarmouth. Costs are not quoted here as they rapidly become out of date. The Burial Committee will, as far as possible, maintain up to date information relating to Norwich, Caistor and Colney Wood but costs should always be checked at the time as we cannot guarantee accuracy. How might I meet these costs? Such costs could be covered by a Whole of Life insurance policy. We have been advised that this would require a monthly premium - something in the order of £10 - payable until death. The sum available on death would, in most cases, be considerably more than that required to cover the cost of the funeral, plot and burial. An alternative would be a combined life policy and savings plan. This would provide immediate life cover but after a number of years the accumulated savings fund would cover the cost of the funeral, and therefore no further premiums would need to be paid. The PJCEA cannot recommend any particular policy or plan. Who can I contact in the event of a death? In the event of a death you may contact any member of the Burial Committee. S/he will be able to assist in making the necessary arrangements. The committee at April 2008 is made up of the following:
Any changes to the membership of this committee will be notified to the membership as soon as is practicable. If you have any further questions regarding burial then please contact the Chair of the Burial Committee in the first instance. |
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