Riverside Memorial Chapel

Your chapel choices

Whether you prefer a small group of close friends and family or a large gathering, our state-of-the-art funeral home facility can meet your needs. We have three chapels, all with traditional pew-style seating. The smallest, Charles S. Salomon Chapel, accommodates approximately 75 guests. The Modern Chapel holds about 140 guests. Both are simply decorated with cream-colored walls and elegant but tasteful light fixtures. We encourage families to personalize the spaces with photographs, mementos and keepsakes.

Our largest and most beautiful chapel is the Gothic Chapel. It seats 350 people and has a vaulted two-story ceiling painted to depict the night sky, arched stained-glass windows and three murals illustrated with religious themes.

Help here and away from home

Riverside Memorial Chapel is centrally located in Manhattan, at 76th and Amsterdam, just one block from the world-famous Beacon Theater and a few blocks from Central Park. Though Jewish funeral services are our specialty, we work with people of all faiths, cultures and backgrounds. We also work with any cemetery you choose.

If your loved one has died away from home, just call us. There is no need to contact a funeral home in the area where the death occurred. We can take care of everything needed to get your loved one back to New York—and should you or your loved one wish to be buried in Israel, we can handle that too.

We Honor Veterans

At Riverside Memorial Chapel, we understand the unique needs of America’s veterans and their families. As a Level Four Founding Community Partner with We Honor Veterans, we are honored to serve our nation’s heroes and take this responsibility seriously. We have taken steps to ensure our staff is knowledgeable of all the benefits available to military veterans and their families.

In addition, we host community events annually in honor of our veterans and work closely with local veterans organizations. 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.

Trusted funeral provider

As a member of the Dignity Memorial® network, Riverside Memorial Chapel gives you not only the warm, familiar attention you expect from a locally operated funeral home but also the value you deserve by way of the largest network of funeral, burial, cremation and cemetery service providers in North America. A licensed funeral director is available to take your call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Please reach out whenever you need us.

History

Like many funeral homes in the late 1800s, Riverside Memorial Chapel started out as a livery business. In 1897, Louis Meyers established Meyers Livery Stable on Manhattan's Lower East Side and helped transport the deceased. His daughter, Sarah, and her husband, Charles Rosenthal, also helped out with the livery business.

A few years later, the firm, which was renamed Meyers Undertakers, moved from the Lower East Side to East Harlem. In 1912, the name changed again and Meyers & Company moved to 228 Lenox Ave. in Harlem. In 1926, the Rosenthal family moved the firm to its present location on the Upper West Side and opened a majestic four-story funeral chapel inspired by Neo-Renaissance architecture.

Finally, in 1933, Meyers & Company was divided into two companies: Riverside Memorial Chapel and Park West Memorial Chapel.

Edward and Morton Rosenthal nurture a thriving business

Under the leadership of Charles Rosenthal's sons, Edward and Morton Rosenthal, Riverside Memorial Chapels opened and acquired more locations in New York City and across the country, eventually becoming the largest funeral service group in the nation. The entrepreneurial brothers, along with Edward’s son-in-law, Steven J. Ross, also formed separate rental car and parking businesses. As if that wasn’t enough, Morton, Edward and Steven got into the entertainment business and bought Warner Brothers, which is now a division of Time Warner Inc.

Restoration and renovations of the funeral home

Riverside Memorial Chapel is an architectural wonder and historic landmark, and we strive to preserve its history. Over the years, we’ve renovated and restored the building to keep as close to the original as possible. From 1994 to 1998, the architectural firm Belmont Freeman did an extensive restoration of the exterior and interior of the facility and upgraded the mechanical and electric systems.

Honoring our founders

One of the stained-glass windows in Riverside Memorial Chapel is dedicated to the Rosenthal family. Without them, our funeral home wouldn’t be what it is today. We are inspired by their legacy and continue to provide premier Jewish funeral services for New York families.

The Gothic Chapel

The most impressive space at Riverside Memorial is the Gothic Chapel, an ornate space with room for 350 people. The celestial arched ceiling is two stories high and painted to look like the night sky. One wall of the chapel has three floor-to-ceiling stained-glass windows that stream in natural light on sunny days. A wall of three murals depicting religious themes complements the stained-glass windows and enhances the symmetry of the space.

The acoustics in the Gothic Chapel are out of this world. An organ sits at the back of the chapel. If you want someone to play the organ during a service, we can arrange for an organist. If you are expecting a very large crowd, the Gothic Chapel has an enclosed balcony with plenty of seating for overflow guests.