Contacting the Burial Society

The standard opening hours of the Burial Society are:

Monday to Thursday – 9am till 5.30pm

Fridays / Erev Yom Tov – 9am till 3pm (summer) / 1pm (winter)

Sundays – 9.30am – 12pm

When contacting the Burial Society to report a death, please note the following:

• According to Halacha (Jewish law), funerals must held as soon as possible after death.
• No arrangements can be made until a death certificate has been obtained, issued by either the doctor or the hospital who treated the deceased in his or her last illness.
• Following the death of a loved one, please arrange to obtain the death certificate as soon as possible.
• You will also require a ‘Notice to Informant’, stating who is entitled to inform the Registrar of the death and outlining what the informant must do.
• Once you have both forms, take them to the Registrar in the area where the death occurred, during normal office hours (though some offer a limited service on weekends).
• The Registrar will tell you which office you need to attend and will require details such as the name, maiden name, date of birth, death and occupation of the deceased. It is useful to have a copy of the birth certificate with you, but this is not vital.
• Once the Registrar has signed the death certificate he/she will give you a certificate for the burial known as a ‘green certificate’.
• At this point you should telephone the Burial Society Office on 020 8202 3903 to arrange the funeral.
• If you require further information out of hours, please call +44 7391 682392 however please do not call on Shabbos or Yom Tov.
• You can call during office hours to report a death even before arranging the certificate. Please note that this facility does not take messages.