Frequently Asked Questions | Funeral Costs

One way to manage costs is to make pre-need arrangements. There are many benefits to pre-need arrangements. The first is that you lock in today’s prices. For those who are fortunate enough to live for many, many, many more years, there’s no doubt that funerals will cost even more years from now. The other advantage is that there are some pre-need discounts. Planning in advance does save you money, even off the current pricing, and you’ll have payment options. We do offer discounts for people who pay in full at the time of purchase with the alternative to pay over four years for crypts or two years for niches, with no interest. 20% down at the time of signing and 20% then for each of the next four years, again, with regard to crypts. On niches, it would be one third at signing and two additional one-third payments.

It’s also the best gift for your loved ones. It’s a gift for your children so that they don’t have to worry about it and it’s a gift for a spouse. Not having made those arrangements is one of the worst situations that one could find themselves in at the time of loss, especially if it’s unexpected and when you’re in morning is not right the time to have to focus on emotional and financial decisions.

One other thing that sets the Beth El Mausoleum apart from just about every other mausoleum and cemetery in the area, or anywhere for that matter, is that we have no hidden funeral costs. We’re a synagogue first, and we don’t want there to be surprises. We feel that we answer to a higher authority borrowing from a famous slogan. In fact, everything is included here at the mausoleum. The only thing not included is the casket, or urn in the case of cremation, and the services of a funeral home who will pick up the deceased, prepare the body, and provide the body or cremation remains to the mausoleum for entombment. As far as we’re concerned, everything is included in the purchase price. There are no open-close fees, no filing or recording fees, no hidden funeral costs, and additionally there’s also no sales tax as we’re a nonprofit organization. We include the funeral service in our mausoleum, with the choice of several locations for Temple members and non-members. Any streaming services, whether it be one-way streaming, or Zoom funerals are provided at no cost. There’s no charge for the standard inscription, which includes last name, first name, year of birth, and year of passing. That’s all included, as is the unveiling approximately a year later.

Also with the purchase, non-members of Temple Beth El get a free one-year Temple membership. We want you to be part of our community, not just once you’re gone, but while you’re alive and as long as you’re a member of the Temple, all life-cycle events, whether it be a wedding, a bar mitzvah, funeral, baby naming, et cetera would be performed by our clergy at no cost. If the family chooses not to remain a member at the end of that year, the only additional cost would be for the Rabbi, and that’s determined by the board of Rabbis of Palm Beach County. So whether you use our Rabbi or any other Rabbi, that cost would be the same.