Agreement Between the Jewish Funeral Practices Committee of Greater Washington and Cunningham Turch Funeral Home
For 7/1/16 through 6/30/18
1. This contract is made between the Jewish Funeral Practices Committee of Greater Washington, Inc., hereinafter called “JFPC,” and Cunningham Turch Funeral Home, Inc., with premises at 811 Cameron Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 hereinafter called the “Funeral Director” or “FD,” effective July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2016 with options to renew through June 30, 2018.
2. FD understands that JFPC’s primary purpose is to permit and encourage Jewish congregations and organizationsto honor their dead by taking the lead in ritual activities and in protecting and comforting the mourners, and to follow the Jewish values of quick burial, and simplicity and equality in death. FD agrees to cooperate to further those purposes.
3. The Funeral Director agrees to provide any Jewish congregation or organization, its members or persons related to its members, or any person requesting a Jewish funeral, a complete Jewish funeral, for the price of $2,020, exclusive of optional additions. Virginia sales tax of 6% will be charged on the price of merchandise. Services will generally be provided at the Cameron Street, Alexandria facility. At a family’s request, services will be provided at Turch facility in Woodbridge.
4. FD may increase the price of this contract by the amount of such increase FD may be required to pay its supplier for caskets bought and used during the second year of the contract.
5. If there is no religious or funeral service, or if the body is transported to another funeral director or a common carrier prior to such service, the charge for FD’s services shall be $1,140 plus $3.44 per loaded mile beyond 40 miles from Cunningham Turch Funeral Home.
The complete Jewish funeral package shall include, but is not limited to, the following:
6. Removal of the body from the place of death, or another place, within 40 miles of Cunningham Turch Funeral Home.
7. Securing a signed copy of the physician’s death certificate at the place of death and at the time of removal. If the death certificate is not ready, $80 will be charged for obtaining the death certificate later.
8. Refrigeration as needed. There will be no embalming or cremation under this contract.
9. An all-wood pine rectangular casket with a star of David (six pointed) on top.
10. Use of the FD’s premises 24 hours per day including Sundays, for ritual washing (tahara) and watching (shmira) of the body and a restroom for the people involved. Ritual washing includes cleaning the body and stopping bleeding, dressing the body in a shroud set (tachrichim), placing it into the casket, and closing the casket. FD will provide all necessary supplies for the ritual washing, including muslin shroud sets, Israeli earth and clay shards, and protective clothing for the washers. FD will cooperate fully in learning the needs and meeting them. FD will maintain a Tahara Room with private entrance with a table suitable for performing tahara, with running water, heating, air conditioning, electric lift, and all supplies needed. FD will also provide suitable shmira areas allowing watchers to see the body or the casket containing the body.
11. Cleaning, dressing and casketing the body when ritual washing is not performed.
12. Use of the FD’s chapel for a funeral service when desired by a family.
13. Transportation of the body to another place, such as a synagogue or a home for the funeral service, then transportation to the designated cemetery within 40 miles of Cunningham Turch Funeral Home, accompanied by a Funeral Director and another FD employee; provided however, that transportation to a cemetery in MD or DC would add $50 to the total price.
14. Handling of all customary paperwork, such as newspaper notices, Social Security and Veterans claims, death certificates, etc. This does not include the additional charges for those items made by the newspapers, or the fees for the certificates, which shall be charged at cost.
15. FD will order certified copies of the death certificate on behalf of the family by U.S. mail. If requested to secure certified copies by some other means FD will charge $80 for doing so. Mailing copies of the death certificates by certified mail, $15.
16. Guest register book and fifty acknowledgment cards (memorial package), and Shiva/ritual candle, to be given to the family.
17.All transportation to and from places within 40 miles of Cunningham Turch Funeral Home is included. Transportation of the body within the area of Maryland, DC and Virginia beyond the 40 miles will be charged at $3.44 per loaded mile. Road trips to New York City vicinity (within a 40 mile radius of New York City), New Jersey or Pennsylvania will be charged at $919. Any area outside of these areas will be charged at $3.44 per loaded mile plus reasonable overnight expenses required, such as hotel fees and meals.
18. The family will not be required to visit the funeral home. Paperwork may be accomplished, and necessary signatures obtained, by fax or Email.
19. FD will permit one person associated with the funeral to ride in the funeral coach with the director if there is a seat available.
20. This funeral is provided as a package. There will be no credit for services or merchandise provided above which are not taken by the patron, except as specified in this contract.
Options
21. On the family’s request, FD will furnish one or more suitable limousines and drivers for a minimum of four hours, at a charge that will be passed through from the limousine company.
22. Only at the initiative of the family, FD may sell an optional all wood upgrade casket at $2,542 (calculated by using the price of $3,092 for the upgrade casket and subtracting $550 for the standard casket which is not used). No greater upgrade may be sold in connection with this contract.
23. A Ziegler case for air transportation may be sold at $754 and/or an air tray at $250.
24. At the family’s request, the FD will supply a non-sealing burial liner, which allows contact with the soil, at the price of $900.
Additional Agreements
25. The FD agrees that when a bereaved member of any congregation contacts it, it will inform the person designated by the congregation or the Rabbi of the congregation. The FD will also inform the bereaved of the designated congregational contact or the rabbi. Necessary information can be found in the annual “Guide to Jewish Life” published by The Washington Jewish Week.
26. FD will not attempt to sell any upgrade merchandise or services to the bereaved.
27. Any merchandise not included or optioned in this agreement may be charged at FD’s then current price list reduced by the price list value of such merchandise as it replaces unless otherwise provided in this contract. In no event will there be a separate charge for professional services.
28. Families or congregations will not be billed earlier than 30 days after the burial, with payment due on or before the 45th day after burial, except that cemetery charges may be billed as required by the cemetery.
29. FD will advise JFPCGW of any changes in its procedures and practices within 10 days of making the change.
30. FD will furnish JFPCGW quarterly statistics of funerals performed and pre-need contracts made under this agreement by the 15th day of the succeeding month, including the name of the deceased, the congregation or other source of the call, and the total billed.
31. JFPCGW shall have the option to renew this contract for the two year period through 6/30/18 with annual price changes in accordance with the U.S. Government’s Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers in Washington-Baltimore, for the most recent 12 month period available as of April 15th of the second year of a contract. The base price for these increases shall be $1800, plus any cost adjustments for casket prices (as described in paragraph 4 above) that were incorporated into the contract. Reference data may be found at www.bls.gov/cpi/home.htm
Robert M. Hausman, President Date
The Jewish Funeral Practices Committee of Greater Washington
Michael Turch, Owner of Cunningham-Turch Funeral Home Date
Jae Morgan, Manager of Cunningham-Turch Funeral Home Date
