Frequently Asked Questions

  • Who can be buried at SFJC?Any Jewish person who passes away.
  • Can Rabbis of any denomination officiate at SFJC?Yes. Absolutely.
  • Can converts of any denomination be buried at SFJC?Yes. Absolutely.
  • What type of casket does SFJC allow?Any casket made of wood or any other natural material is acceptable at SFJC. We do not allow metal caskets
  • Is this an Orthodox cemetery?SFJC is a community cemetery for every Jew, of any background or affiliation. Anyone who identified as a Jew is lovingly welcome to be buried here. Our high standards of Jewish burial and adherence to burial customs are part of the rich heritage of every Jewish person.
  • Does SFJC charge more at-need than for pre-planning?Absolutely not! We whole-heartedly reject the practice of taking advantage of a grieving family at their time of need. Today's prices are today's prices whether you are planning ahead or had a death in the family. It is still a good idea to pre-plan and lock in today's prices. This also relieves your family of a tremendous burden when the time comes.
  • How can SFJC offer plots for so much less than any other cemetery?Very simply- we are a nonprofit. We charge what we need to in order to operate the cemetery and fund the perpetual care trust fund. We don't have corporate investors or stockholders expecting a dividend.
  • I have a tattoo: Can I be buried at SFJC?Yes. We don't know where this notion came from, but it's a bubamaaseh. To be clear, the Torah explicitly prohibits tattoos (Leviticus 19:28) but there is no religious litmus test as a condition of burial. Jewish burial is the privilege of every Jew, regardless of how they lived their life.
  • Can someone who committed suicide be buried at SFJC?Yes. This is a more complex topic, but suffice it to say that someone suffering from pain or depression who took their own life, is allowed in a Jewish cemetery. If you know someone contemplating suicide, please don't wait until it's too late. They need help now and there are a number of community resources available.
  • Are same-sex couples allowed at SFJC?Yes. Absolutely. As stated above, there is no religious litmus test as a condition of burial. Jewish burial is the privilege of every Jew, regardless of how they lived their life.
  • Can anyone speak at a funeral?Yes. Absolutely.
  • Doesn't Florida require a burial vault?No. The purpose of the vault is to stabilize the ground and enable heavy equipment to drive over the graves. It serves a purpose in terms of cemetery management only, it has nothing to do with the water table or any other myths out there. You can find more details on Florida's Division of Funeral, Cemetery, and Consumer Services' website.
  • If there's no vault, doesn't that create problems with the water table?The purpose of the vault is to stabilize the ground and enable heavy equipment to drive over the graves. It serves a purpose in terms of cemetery management only, it has nothing to do with the water table or any other myths out there. We are very careful to bury far above the water table, so there really is no issue.