Berkowitz-Kumin-Bookatz Memorial Chapel

More than a century of service

For more than 120 years, we have served the Jewish community of Northeast Ohio and offer traditional and modern funeral services to Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and Secular families, as well as those with interfaith marriages.

Our funeral home features floor-to-ceiling windows in the reception area, which allows light to flood in during the day. With warm wooden accents, and plush seating, our location provides a comfortable place for friends and family to visit before and after services.

In the heart of the Jewish community, Berkowitz-Kumin-Bookatz Memorial Chapel is close to many of Cleveland’s synagogues, and we have long-standing relationships with many local rabbis. We are directly across the street from Cain Park, a large municipally owned performing arts park.

Beautiful, spacious funeral chapels

In March 2021, Berkowitz-Kumin-Bookatz began an extensive renovation project. While we work to create a beautiful new funeral home setting, we remain open during construction to help families share the special stories and memories of their loved ones. Planned with the guidance of Rabbi Boruch Hirschfeld at Telshe Yeshiva in Wickliffe and the Chevra Kadisha of Greater Cleveland, also known as the Jewish Sacred Society, the expansion and renovation will allow us provide you with more of what you need to pay tribute to your loved ones while observing time-honored traditions.

In addition to modernizing our existing spaces, the extensive renovation plan includes:

• A 3,800-square-foot addition to our 17,000-square-foot building
• Modernized entry vestibule and lobby
• Redesigned chapels and family rooms
• Updated, ADA compliant elevator and restrooms
• Private identification room
• Mikvah room for ritual taharah and dedicated shomer room
• Enlarged mailing room for yahrzeit notices

The existing space at Berkowitz-Kumin-Bookatz has two modern chapels. The larger chapel seats up to 500 guests, while our more intimate chapel seats 95. Both chapels have modern audio and visual technology, including a concealed digital projection screen. If more space is needed, a television in our smaller chapel allows funeral services to be simulcast from one chapel to another.

Beautiful earth tones set off the amber wooden pews located in our larger chapel, creating a comfortable and inviting atmosphere for families and guests. Two large, wall-mounted menorahs are located on either side of the aisle. A tree of life hangs at the front. Each chapel includes a seating area that is separated from the rest of the room. This provides a comfortable place for family and loved ones to be part of the service while also retaining a sense of privacy.

We celebrate life

At Berkowitz-Kumin-Bookatz Memorial Chapel, we believe that each person’s life deserves to be celebrated in a unique way. Our team members are skilled at creating one-of-a-kind tributes that reflect a loved one’s passions and personality.

A celebration could be as simple as sharing treasured photographs and mementos, or as elaborate as transforming our chapel into a themed event space with a catered reception. Think custom-decorated cupcakes, a live jazz band, a putting green in the chapel, a motorcycle procession to the gravesite—if you can think of it, we can probably do it. And, of course, if that’s not what you had in mind, we can provide a more traditional or religious service.

Here for you when you need us

A full-service funeral home, Berkowitz-Kumin-Bookatz offers traditional and modern funeral services and burials, cremations and transfers to anywhere in the world. This includes transfer to Israel, a service we regularly provide.

As a member of the Dignity Memorial® network, North America’s largest provider of funeral, cremation and cemetery services, we offer personalized care and compassionate service you can trust. We invite you stop to by Berkowitz-Kumin-Bookatz to meet our friendly associates and tour our lovely funeral home facility.

Call us for any reason at all. We are here to serve you.

History

For 4 generations, Berkowitz-Kumin-Bookatz Memorial Chapel has specialized in Jewish funeral services in the Greater Cleveland area.

Over the years, as Cleveland’s Jewish neighborhoods moved and combined, the area’s funeral homes did the same. The knowledge, skills and passion our team represents today are the result of 120+ years of service to the Cleveland area, as well as the combining of 5 funeral home families: J.D. Deutsch’s livery stable (opened in 1890), Berkowitz & Sons Orthodox Funeral Home (founded in the early 1900s), Cohen-Margowsky Funeral Chapel (owned by the Kumin family and opened in the 20s), Cleveland Temple Memorial (founded in 1936) and finally Miller Memorial (founded in the 40s).

In 1957, the Berkowitz and Kumin families combined their funeral homes to create Berkowitz-Kumin Memorial Chapel in Cleveland Heights. Then, in 1967, Miller Memorial and J.D. Deutsch joined to create Miller-Deutsch. Ten years later, in 1977, Cleveland Temple Memorial merged with Berkowitz-Kumin and formed Berkowitz-Kumin-Bookatz. Finally, in 1985, Miller-Deutsch was acquired by Berkowitz-Kumin-Bookatz.

We have been a member of the Dignity Memorial® network of funeral and cemetery service providers since 1998.

We care for Cleveland

The team at Berkowitz-Kumin-Bookatz Memorial Chapel strongly believes in supporting the excellent work of Cleveland’s local organizations. Members of our team are involved in many area nonprofits and religious organizations, including the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland (and the Federation's board of trustees), Hebrew Free Loan, Alzheimer's Association, Cleveland Rape Crisis Center and American Jewish Community.

Our directors have served on numerous boards of Jewish institutions in the Greater Cleveland area. Some of our team members have also served on the boards of the Cleveland Region of the Jewish National Fund, the Cleveland ORT, National ORT America, Jewish Community Federation Security Committee, the State of Israel Bonds, Shoes for Kids and the Northeast Ohio Arthritis Association. Our directors also serve on Jewish cemetery boards across the region.

Our commitment to the Greater Cleveland Jewish community goes beyond serving on committees and being appointed to boards. We believe that any member of the Jewish faith—regardless of his or her financial circumstances—should have the opportunity to be buried in accordance with Jewish customs and traditions. To that end, we work with Cleveland cemeteries with consecrated Jewish sections to provide traditional memorial services to those who cannot afford to pay.

We honor veterans

Berkowitz-Kumin-Bookatz Memorial Chapel understands the unique needs of America’s veterans and their families. As a Level One Founding Community Partner with We Honor Veterans, our staff is knowledgeable in the benefits available to veterans and their families. With respect, integrity and dignity, we will walk you through the steps of creating a veteran's memorial service that truly honors the life and sacrifice of your loved one.