About Us
Our History
JFPCGW came into existence in 1976 to take Jewish funerals out of ordinary commerce and restore them as a sacred and meaningful mitzvah performed by congregations and other religious communities. In the Washington area, Tifereth Israel Congregation pioneered the concept and their committee began educating and training others.
Our Members
Click here for a List of JFPCGW Members/Congregations.
Our Contracts
Our current contracts are with the Hines-Rinaldi Funeral Home (Silver Spring, MD) and the Cunningham Turch Funeral Homes (Alexandria VA). We also have a contract with the Fram Monument Company (Rockville MD) enabling community members to acquire their cemetery markers (flat and standing) at a considerable discount.
Arthur R. Hessel, President
A native of St. Louis and now retired, Art practiced law in the District of Columbia for over forty years. He has served on the boards of numerous organizations, including The Haberman Institute for Jewish Studies, the Jewish Primary Day School (now Milton), and American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. He lives in the District of Columbia and is a member of Adas Israel.
Our Leadership
David Zinner, Vice President
A native of St. Louis, David has recently retired as Executive Director of Kavod v’Nichum, focusing on Jewish traditions around dying, death, funerals, burials, cemeteries, grief and mourning. He has also served as Executive Director of Tifereth Israel Congregation in Washington, DC. He lives in Columbia MD and is an active member of the Columbia Jewish Congregation.
Carole Klein, Secretary
Born and raised in Lebanon, PA, the first part of Carole’s career was with AT&T, where she led teams working on successful product launches. She then turned to the Jewish non-profit world, serving as Executive Director of a congregation in New Jersey, and as Director of Operations at Adas Israel in the District. She lives in Chevy Chase MD and belongs to Adas Israel.
Madison Meljac-Lehmann, Treasurer
Madison, a midwesterner, is the administrator of the Ft. Belvoir Jewish Synagogue. She previously worked in the mental health field as a clinician, and with various military programs as a volunteer. She lives with her husband and children in Ft. Belvoir where she also runs family programs for Jewish military personnel, and teaches Jewish education and Hebrew classes for adults and children. She is a member of Olam Tikvah in Fairfax County.
Joel Bauman
A native of Atlanta GA, Joel works for a global software company, and is an active board member and tahara leader of the Chevra Kadisha of Greater Washington. He lives in Silver Spring, and belongs to several synagogues in the Kemp Mill area.
Bill Begal
Bill grew up in the Washington area. His business career involved dry cleaning, fabricare and disaster clean up and management. He is Chairman Emeritus and President of the Gift of Life Bone Marrow Registry, and serves on the Board of the Milton Gottesman Jewish Day School of Greater Washington. He lives in the District of Columbia and is a member of Adas Israel, where he serves on its Chevra Kadisha and is chair of its Bereavement Committee.
Bob Gerwin
A graduate of the University of Chicago, Bob is a retired physician who specialized in the study and management of chronic pain. He has chaired the Chevra Kadisha at two Washington synagogues. Bob lives in Bethesda, and is a member of Congregation Ohr Kodesh.
Dean Grayson
Dean is a lawyer who works for a major corporation. He is the president of the Chevra Kadisha of Greater Washington, and lives in Silver Spring. He is a member of a number of synagogues in the Silver Spring/Kemp Mill area.
Lois Passman
Lois was born in New York City and has lived in Fairfax County VA since the 1970s. She has been a college teacher, and a long time volunteer with the Fairfax County school system, as well as Hadassah and the American Association of University Women. She has long been active with the Fort Belvoir Jewish Congregation.
Marsha Rozenblit
Marsha was born in New York City. She is a professor of Modern Jewish History at the University of Maryland, where she has been on the faculty since 1978. Marsha is a resident of Silver Spring and a member of Fabrangen.
Harvey Stoler
Born in Brooklyn NY, and now retired, Harvey worked for almost 40 years in human resources management. He lives in Alexandria VA, and is a member of Congregation Agudas Achim in Alexandria and its Chevra Kadisha.
Jeanelle D'Isa
Jeanelle is currently the Director of Membership Engagement at Temple Micah in the District. She has been part of the Jewish non-profit world for more than ten years. She works to expand interest in and access to traditional Jewish end-of-life care. She is a graduate of Brandeis University, and has extensive experience in publishing and nonprofit customer service.