Funerals

Funerals

When we are confronted with the death of a loved one, Beth El is a place for you to seek guidance, comfort and support.  Our Rabbis, Hazzan and staff will guide you and your loved ones through this very difficult time.

We Are Here for You
We encourage you to contact the Rabbis, Hazzan or our Beth El office as soon as possible and before you begin making funeral plans.  The clergy can be reached at 847-432-8900.

Please remember that the telephones at the synagogue and those of the Rabbi and Hazzan are not answered on Shabbat or Jewish holidays.  If a death occurs on one of these days, you may contact the Rabbis or Hazzan directly by coming to their homes or to the synagogue immediately before or after worship services.

Notifying our Beth El Community
When we are informed about the death of a Beth El family member, a condolence email is sent to our community as soon as possible.  Information about funeral arrangements and shiva plans are included if desired.

Beth El Support
The congregation considers it a mitzvah to assist a bereaved family in a number of ways. The funeral for a Beth El member may be held in the Beth El Field family Sanctuary. If desired, synagogue members will help maintain a minyan in the house of the shiva and serve as minyan leaders and Torah readers. Twice daily religious services are held at the synagogue so mourners can pray and recite Kaddish.

Resources
To help you through this difficult time you might find the resources listed below a source of comfort. The books are available through our Maxwell Abbell Library.

The Jewish Way in Death and Mourning by Rabbi Maurice Lamm, Jonathan David, New York 1969

Mourning and Mitzvah: A Guided Journal for Walking the Mourner’s Path Through Grief to Healing by Anne Brener, Jewish Lights Publishing, Woodstock, Vermont 1993

Consolation, The Spiritual Journey Beyond Grief by Rabbi Maurice Lamm, The Jewish Publication Society, New York 2004

The Jewish Mourner’s Book of Why by Arthur Kolatch, Jonathan David, New York 1993