In case of a death, please follow the procedure below:
- Call the doctor of the deceased to organise a Medical Certificate Cause of Death.
- If the deceased passed away in a nursing home and a doctor is not available to issue the Medical Certificate Cause of Death, a Registered Nurse can issue a Verification of Death Form. This will allow the Chevra Kadisha to transfer the deceased to their premises, however, a doctor’s Medical Certificate Cause of Death will still be required to be arranged before the burial can take place.
- In the case of a death requiring the Coroner (i.e. sudden death, death after/during an operation or if a doctor is unavailable) you may wish to print out and sign the Objection to Post-Mortem form and Email or FAX to the NSW Coroner or give the form to the Police – (see Coronial Process)
- When the Medical Certificate Cause of Death (or Verification of Death) is ready, please call and notify the Sydney Chevra Kadisha immediately on 02 9363 2248 – 24 hours a day 7 days of the week.
- If it is a Shabbat or High Holiday, please follow the answering machine prompts. You will be redirect to another Funeral Home working on our behalf, who will organise the transportation of the deceased to the Chevra Kadisha premises. At the Chevra Kadisha premises there is Shmira (guarding) organised every day. The Chevra Kadisha will contact you as soon as possible at the end of Shabbat or High Holiday to make the funeral arrangements.
- The Chevra Kadisha will need to meet with you in order to organise the funeral and also obtain the required information to register the death with the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages. To ensure the meeting is productive, please complete the Funeral Plan Form to the best of your ability (or print and complete the PDF version of the form) and have it ready for the meeting.
- For a male deceased, ensure you transport their tallit (prayer shawl) and kittel with them to the Chevra Kadisha, as the deceased will be wrapped in them. If they do not have, the Chevra Kadisha will provide.