Cemetery Grave Markers

Grave Markers are intended primarily to permanently memorialize and honour the deceased. They are not only visited by the family and friends, but frequently by other members of the community, and the inscriptions on them often provide a valuable source of family comfort and community history. Further, Jewish tradition consecrates cemeteries, resulting in an atmosphere of holiness, sacredness, solemnity and dignity.

To preserve and enhance the dignity of our cemeteries, our office and Cemetery Committee will carefully review all requests for Markers to be placed at our cemeteries to ensure that their solemnity is maintained as our community would expect and in accordance with Jewish practice, and our Cemetery Rules.  When considering a memorial for your family member, we strongly encourage you to consult with our Rabbi, who can assist you with the spelling of Hebrew names and phases and may also suggest appropriate inscriptions and ways to memorialize your loved one. 

Timing

Markers must be installed within one year of burial. Failure to do so may result in the synagogue installing a simple Marker of its choice and billing the Interment Right Holder or his or her personal representative or next-of-kin.

Design Approval

All designs for Markers must be submitted to the synagogue office for written approval. The Design Guidelines below indicate the guidelines we will use to review design requests for a Marker.

Installation Approval

Written permission (a permit) must be obtained from the synagogue office prior to installation. There is a fee for the permit, which is shown on the Cemetery Price List.

Unveiling Date Approval

You must contact the synagogue office so it can approve your proposed unveiling date and time. If the unveiling is at our cemetery at Bathurst Lawn Memorial Park or at Mount Sinai Memorial Park, the unveiling must be scheduled with their offices too.

Design Guidelines

Inscriptions

• Front Side: The Marker must contain the following: the Hebrew letters פ”נ (Peh-Nun, for “Po Nikbar” meaning “Here Lies”), the deceased’s full Hebrew name, and the Jewish date of death. We recommend the Marker contain the deceased English name, secular date of death, and the Hebrew letters תנצבה (which is the abbreviation for “May the soul of the deceased be bound up in the bond of everlasting life”). Text which is not in keeping with the ethos of the synagogue may not be approved.
• Back Side: The only inscriptions permitted are the deceased’s last name (and first name if desired) in English, and if applicable, the words ‘Holocaust Survivor’, as well as the names of immediate family members who perished in the Holocaust.

Images

• Traditional Jewish symbols are appropriate images, for example a Star of David, a menorah, a washing cup, or other traditional Jewish symbols. A small symbol reflective of the deceased may also be part of the design and may be located at the bottom quarter of the front of the Marker and shall be at most 7.5 inches square, e.g. a Veteran’s poppy, the IDF/Tzahal insignia, the Yad Vashem logo, etc.
• Examples of designs that will be refused: Non-traditionally-Jewish symbols, including human likeness (except stylized raised hands), animal likeness (except stylized lions or doves), or trademarked images or images of a commercial nature.

Double Markers

Double Markers are discouraged. A surcharge will be applied for double markers.

Size and Materials

All Markers shall conform to the size restrictions shown below and are to be generally of a rectangular shape made of a single slab of granite with no cut-throughs. The overall height of a Marker is 36" (91cm).  See the Cemetery Rules for details on materials and finishings.

Other

Nothing shall be affixed to the Marker.

Marker Dealers

Only Marker dealers permitted by Shaarei Shomayim may place Markers in our cemeteries. Shaarei Shomayim has no financial arrangement with any of those dealers and cannot make recommendations. These firms are familiar with our Rules and specifications as well as Halacha (Jewish traditional law) regarding all memorials and practices permitted in our cemeteries.

Cemetery Rules

This information is provided to assist and if there is any confusion, lack of clarity, or disagreement, the Cemetery Rules shall prevail.