The first call should be to us at (604) 733-2277 ext. 201. You will be connected with Funeral Director Joseph Marciano. If you get Joseph’s voicemail, please try back in a few minutes. You may also call or send a text message to Joseph at (604) 603-7164. You may also reach out to Executive / Funeral Director Howard Jampolsky at (604) 733-2277 ext. 204, or call or text him at (604) 785-0386.

You may call us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – even on Shabbos or Jewish Holidays. If you are forwarded to our answering service, leave a message with them. You will get a callback within a short time from Howard or Joseph.

Dying at home is preferred by many who do not require the special care accessible only at a hospital, hospice, or senior’s Home. However, it is important that the physician or public health care nurse provides you with a “Notice of Expected Death in the Home”. This document is signed by the health care provider and the next of kin, and allows us to remove the deceased from the private family home without the need to call paramedics, police, or the Coroner Service. Without this form, it is likely a call to emergency services will be required and the eventual involvement of a coroner who will authorize us to remove the deceased.

It is also important to know the form is valid for a period of three months from when it is signed, so it may need to be renewed. Keep this form in a safe place as we will require it. You may also fax it is to us in advance at 1 (888) 881-9549.

Dying at home, surrounded by loved ones can be a meaningful and peaceful experience for the deceased and those left behind. Having a properly completed notification will ensure that experience is not hampered by the need to contact emergency services after death has occurred.

There are some things that need to be done before calling us, though.

1. If the deceased is a man, try to have his Tallis (prayer shawl) on hand, and send it along with him to the Chapel. Men are traditionally buried in a Tallis, and it is preferred if it is one he wore in his lifetime. If you cannot find his Tallis, if he doesn’t have one, or if keeping his Tallis is important to the family, we will provide a Tallis.
2. If you know your loved one’s Hebrew name, please write it down on the back of the MCOD form, as our Chevra Kadisha members will need it during the preparation for burial. The form of the proper Hebrew name is the deceased’s name, and his/her father’s name, and optionally his/her mother’s name. For example, David ben Avraham v’Sarah. This example shows the deceased’s Hebrew name of David, his father’s name as Avraham, and his mother’s name as Sarah. The “ben” mean’s “Son of”. In the case of a women, this would be noted as “bat” which means “Daughter of”. The “v’” between the parents’ names only means “and”. If you are unsure of the deceased’s Hebrew name, please feel free to discuss this with us and we will help determine that. We are often able to find this through synagogue records, of by deciphering it based on other information we will be asking you for.

Some people will die in the hospital, and quite often, when death occurs, the deceased is taken from the ward to the morgue where they are held until released to us. Many people prefer to have their loved one removed from the hospital by us from the ward. This gives family members time to sit with their loved one for a time until we arrive. While the setting is not like home, hospital staff are very understanding during this difficult time and will give family members privacy and time with their loved one.

During this time, someone from the family should contact us so that we are able to arrange to come to the ward to remove the deceased, avoiding having them taken to the morgue.

There are some things that need to be done before calling us, though.

1. Speak with the nurse to enquire as to whether the deceased is released and that we are able to come to the hospital ward.
   
   
2. Ask the nurse if the “Medical Certificate of Death” (MCOD) has been completed and signed by the doctor.
   
   
   • If it is, or will be signed by a doctor before we arrive, please ensure it is sent along with the deceased to the Chapel.
     
     
   • If it will not be signed prior to removal from the ward, please let us know when you call. If this is the case, we may ask you to put the nurse on the phone so we are able to explain how, why and when they can get us the form in a timely manner. It is important to know that we cannot proceed with a burial until we have received this document.
     
     
3. Ensure you know the name of the hospital, the floor, ward and room number as we will need this information.
   
   
4. If the deceased is a man, try to have his tallis (prayer shawl) on hand, and send it along with him to the Chapel. Men are traditionally buried in a Tallis, and it is preferred if it is one he wore in his lifetime. If you cannot find his Tallis, if he doesn’t have one, or if keeping his Tallis is important to the family, we will provide a Tallis.
   
   
5. If you know your loved one’s Hebrew name, please write it down on the back of the MCOD form, as our Chevra Kadisha members will need it during the preparation for burial. The form of the proper Hebrew name is the deceased’s name, and his/her father’s name, and optionally his/her mother’s name. For example, David ben Avraham v’Sarah. This example shows the deceased’s Hebrew name of David, his father’s name as Avraham, and his mother’s name as Sarah. The “ben” mean’s “Son of”. In the case of a women, this would be noted as “bat” which means “Daughter of”. The “v’” between the parents’ names only means “and”. If you are unsure of the deceased’s Hebrew name, please feel free to discuss this with us and we will help determine that. We are often able to find this through synagogue records, of by deciphering it based on other information we will be asking you for.

There are laws that set out who is responsible for taking care of decisions during this time of need. The order of this is as follows:

• Named Executor
• Spouse
• Adult child (in descending age order)
• Parent
• Adult Sibling
• Adult Niece of Nephew
• Other adult next of kin
• Public Guardian & Trustee or Government Ministry
• Other adult with a personal or kinship relationship

Should a person with the responsibility as per this list choose not to assume the responsibility, the next person in line of succession may act. (If there are questions or conflicts on this matter, please discuss this with the Funeral Director.)

Each year, we send a small number of people for burial in other cities. If your loved one is to be buried in another city in Canada, this is a rather straight-forward process. The death registration process is the same as a burial here in Vancouver. There are two specific differences, though. First, we will prepare your loved ones to be sent to a funeral home or Chevra Kadisha in the city they are being sent to. You will need to provide us the name and telephone number of the funeral home or Chevra Kadisha in the receiving city so we are able to coordinate with them. Second, we will not be performing the ritual preparation for burial here as that will be done by the Chevra Kadisha in the receiving city.

It is important to note that there can sometimes be short delays in our ability to send the deceased out of the province as we require approval from the BC Coroner Service before shipping. This is usually received quickly during normal working hours, but should the death occur on a weekend or public holiday, there can be a delay of a day or two.

If burial is to take place outside of Canada, we will require their passport which will travel with them to the destination country.

If burial is to take place in Israel, there are many considerations. Please contact us to discuss the details of this process.