Jewish Funeral Directors of America To Meet in Conjunction With ICCFA Convention and Exposition

The Jewish Funeral Directors of America Inc. (JFDA) will hold its annual spring meeting in conjunction with the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association’s 2011 Convention & Exposition, March 8-11 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“We are pleased to invite the JFDA and its membership to join us at our convention,” said ICCFA President Kevin Daniels, CCE. “We hope this leads to a lasting relationship and opportunities for future cooperation.”

“We are excited to participate in the ICCFA Annual Convention & Exposition in Las Vegas and thank the ICCFA for their hospitality,” said JFDA President Albert Bloomfield.

JFDA members will have access to all ICCFA educational sessions and the exhibit hall. In addition, the JFDA has created a one-day program to meet the specific the needs of its members, as follows:

• Thursday, March 10 (8:30-10 a.m.)?JFDA Meeting of Members.
• Thursday, March 10 (2-3:30 p.m.)?”Uni-faith Mourning Practices in an Inter-faith World: Issues and Strategies,” presented by Rabbi Sanford Akselrad, Congregation Ner Tamid, Henderson, Nevada. Inter-faith marriage has become the “norm” among American Jewry with about 50 percent of marriages resulting in an inter-marriage. This presents profound challenges at a time of grief. How does an inter-faith family mourn? How does a non-Jewish spouse mourn for a Jewish spouse? Beyond burial issues are the issues related to ritual, planning the funeral, and dealing with families of different religious backgrounds and beliefs about the after life. Rabbi Akselrad will present this interactive session, encouraging participants to share their experiences in their roles as Jewish funeral directors.
• Thursday, March 10 (3:30-5 p.m.)?”The Death of Moses: What It Teaches Us About Death and Dying from the Jewish Perspective,” presented by Rabbi Malcolm Cohen, Temple Sinai, Las Vegas, Nevada. The Torah culminates in Moses’ death. This episode is wistful but poetic. Participants will learn and discuss some of the Rabbinic legends associated with this incredible event, including how Moses fights the Angel of Death and how God finally takes him to his resting place. The texts deal with end-of-life issues which have practical relevance to funeral directors. This session will give participants the opportunity to clarify their own theological and spiritual responses to death.

Organized in 1932, the Jewish Funeral Directors of America is an international association of 100 Jewish funeral homes and 170 Jewish funeral directors representing 23 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and two Canadian provinces.