Sunday workshops from 2-6:30

Monday workshops from 9:30-3:30 – Cemetery On-site Interactive Seminars at Mt. Sinai Memorial Park in Simi Valley. Bus transportation and lunch provided.

Monday workshops from 3:30-6

Tuesday workshops from 10-noon

A sampling of workshops includes:

Land – Develop plans to transform under-used and unused cemetery land to an attractive draw for your community. To make your cemetery more appealing, we’ll explore a number of cutting edge models including establishing a green burial section (with no liners), hill burials (including obtaining rabbinic approval) and even when to sell surplus land. What are the costs? What are the returns? Can you really generate more revenue? We’ll look at the finished product and go behind the scenes to see how it works, and what it took to get there.

Insurance – Love It and Hate It. What is your cemetery’s exposure and what kind of insurance does your cemetery really need? Beyond the normal liability, worker comp and Director’s insurance, learn why Jewish cemeteries need insurance against vandalism and natural disasters. See how the pros determine how much coverage you really need. Learn which security approaches (gates, guards, dogs, lights, etc.) maximize effectiveness and minimize costs.

Community – Bringing the People to the Cemetery – The Jewish cemetery needs to be an active member of the larger Jewish community. Creating innovative ways to market your cemetery should go beyond pre-need sales and engage the community around civil and Jewish holidays, book burials, and re-dedications. What are proven ideas for developing an event calendar, planning and publicity, and creating take-aways to draw people to the cemetery and acquaint them with the cemetery operations?

Closing – Last One Out, Please Turn Off the Lights – What happens when a Jewish community is dwindling and can’t support its cemetery? What are the transition options and responsibilities for those who are nearby – federations, associations, civil municipalities – and who will step in to help?

Low Income Burial –  How should you handle burials for families without money? What are proven techniques to create a communal subsidy plan? Is it possible to get your federation involved?  – Are there examples of cemeteries rotating responsibility for indigent burials? Is it wise to accept plots that are donated back or to create a “grave bank”?

Current Issues – Should we bury cremated remains, and if so, where? Should we create intermarried sections in our cemetery, and if so, how? What are the advantages to creating a section without liners and caskets? And we’ll discuss your topic too.