Membership
Q. How much does it cost to buy a plot?
A. It doesn’t work that way. Home of Peace is a cemetery association, begun as a benevolent society. Members pay initiation fees and annual dues, which entitle them to burial. Members do not actually own a plot.
Q. OK, so how much does it cost to join?
A. Initiation fees are based on your age. The older you are, the more it costs to join. Anyone under 30 can join for free. The range of fees are included in a fee chart.
Q. How much are the annual dues?
A. As of 2013 they are $100 per year per family.
Q. When do I pay my dues?
A. Upon receipt of yearly statement, typically sent out in January.
Q. Do the initiation fees have to be paid in a lump sum?
A. Yes, in order to be considered a member in good standing. However, the board of trustees can make special arrangements, if needed.
Q. What happens if I fall behind in paying my dues?
A. Members in arrears over two years are no longer considered members in good standing, as defined in our by-laws.
Q. If I’m already a member, do my kids need to join also?
A. Not until they are self-supporting, again, as defined by our by-laws.
Q. Can anyone join the cemetery?
A. The Home of Peace Cemetery Association is a Jewish cemetery. Anyone interested in promoting the Jewish faith may join.
Q. What if I join and then move away and decide to be buried elsewhere?
A. There are no refunds if you decide to be buried elsewhere.
Q. What other costs can I expect at the time of my death?
A. Membership provides only burial space. Your family will choose a funeral home to arrange for a casket and other services, typically several thousand dollars. Fees for opening and closing the grave will vary depending on the services requested. Rabbi’s fees are arranged privately.
Q. Do my spouse and I both have to join?
A. Membership includes you, your spouse and your minor children who are not self-supporting. As a couple in good standing you get one vote at the annual meeting.
Q. Is the Home of Peace Cemetery affiliated with any particular synagogue?
A. No. The Home of Peace Cemetery Association functions as a separate association from any temple or synagogue.
Q. If I’m already a member, can I add my parents?
A. They can join if they choose, paying the standard fee based on their age.
Q. Can my spouse and I reserve a specific burial space?
A. If an immediate family member is already interred, adjoining space can be reserved, if available. Again, you do not purchase a plot.
Q. Do my kids keep paying dues for me after my spouse and I are both deceased?
A. No. Once you and your spouse are both buried, dues are no longer required. However, endowments are always welcomed.
Q. What happens if a non-member chooses to be buried in the cemetery?
A. There is a non-member fee, currently $5400 per person.
Q. Is there a Chevra Kadisha society available in Tacoma?
A. At this time only in Olympia and Seattle.
Q. What is the annual meeting for?
A. As required by the by-laws, board members provide annual reports, elect directors and give members an opportunity for communication.
Q. How will I know when the annual meeting is scheduled?
A. The date, time and location are typically included on your annual dues statement, or sent in a separate mailing at least two weeks prior to the meeting.
Q. Are donations tax deductible?
A. Yes. The Home of Peace Cemetery Association is a non-profit 501 (c)(13).
Q. Do I receive a membership card of any kind?
A. The board is currently working to develop a membership packet.
Q. Who runs the day-to-day operations of the cemetery?
A. The board of trustees, as elected at the annual meeting, serve on a volunteer basis. They arrange for lawn mowing, irrigation, security and improvements and repairs as needed.
Q. What do I do if I see a problem at the cemetery?
A. Contact any board member. If you see vandalism or inappropriate activity please feel free to contact the police.
Q. Can anyone join the board of trustees?
A. New trustees are always welcome, as long as they are members in good standing. Trustees are elected at the annual meeting and the president can fill vacancies during the year.
Q. Is there a listing of burials?
A. Burial information for genealogy researchers is available at www.jgsws.org/cemetery.htm, through 1999.
Cemetery Grounds
Q. Are headstones required?
A. Yes. Typically headstones are unveiled one year after death, signifying the end of the mourning period.
Q. Is any special wording required?
A. Your rabbi or monument company can help you choose words or pictures appropriate for use in a Jewish cemetery. (Christian symbols are not allowed.) Typically your rabbi also will check Hebrew spelling.
Q. Are flat headstones required?
A. No. Currently, upright headstones are allowed.
Q. Does the cemetery association contract with a monument company?
A. No. You are free to choose any company you wish. Premier Memorial (formerly Tacoma Monument) has served the Tacoma area for a long time.
Q. Who arranges for the tombstone unveiling?
A. You do, along with your local rabbi, if you choose. Please inform the cemetery association of your plans.
Q. May I place fresh flowers on my family member’s grave?
A. Traditionally Jewish cemeteries are seen as a place of mourning and flowers are not appropriate. A pebble placed on the monument is used instead to remember your visit. Pebbles are available in two containers near the front of the cemetery. Our grounds keeping contract does not include removal of flowers.
Q. Can I plant a tree or bush next to my family member’s headstone?
A. Plantings must not interfere with lawn mowing. Any plantings will be subject to the 3 height of the mower. However, trees and bushes for other areas of the cemetery may be donated, in conjunction with our landscape architects site plan, at the discretion of the board of trustees. Before anything is planted at the cemetery, permission must first be obtained from the board of trustees.
Q. What are the water faucets for?
A. Hand-washing stations have been provided for your use as you exit the cemetery. (Based on Jewish superstition to prevent the Angel of Death from following you.)
Q. Can anyone visit the cemetery and walk around or take pictures?
A. Signs are posted to the effect that the cemetery is private property, reserved for the use of its members.
Q. When is the gate open?
A. The gate is on an automatic timer, opening at dawn and closing at dusk.
Q. What do I do if I come to the cemetery to visit and the gates are closed?
A. There is a keypad on the right side of the driveway, just before the gate. Enter the four-digit code and the gates will swing open, into the cemetery.
Q. How do I get out if the gates are closed?
A. Drive slowly toward the gate, stopping about 10-15 feet away. A sensor on the gate will open it automatically. Remember that the two parts of the gate will swing in toward you, so don’t pull up too close.
Q. How do I find a specific grave?
A. Contact any member of the board of trustees for more information. Row markers have recently been added to assist you.
History
Q. How old is the cemetery?
A. The First Hebrew Benevolent Society was established in 1888. The society provided loans and aid to those in need. A separate group of three trustees were responsible for the Home of Peace Cemetery. The society was incorporated in 1891.
Q. Where were pioneer Jews buried before that?
A. In Tumwater, near Olympia, as early as 1872.
Q. How big is the cemetery land?
A. The association owns over eight acres, two of which are currently in use.
Q. How many people are buried there?
A. As of 2006, just under 800.
Q. How fast is the cemetery growing?
A. For the first 110 years the cemetery averaged five or six burials per year. Over the past five years that number has doubled.
Q. Is the smaller cemetery on the corner older?
A. It actually is newer, established in 1914. The two were merged in 1979.
Future
Q. Are there any long-range improvement plans?
A. As always, continued development of additional burial space is needed. Maintenance of trees, fences and irrigation systems is ongoing.