The passing of a loved one is one of the most difficult experiences anyone can go through. Traditional services at Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary offer a comforting space where friends and family can come together to support the bereaved during these painful times. In addition to in-person gatherings, virtual memorials provide a new, meaningful way to share memories, gather support, and stay connected with loved ones, no matter the distance.

Virtual Memorials

Online Obituaries: Online obituaries serve as the cornerstone of virtual memorials, providing a dedicated space to honor the memory of your loved one. These online tributes can be personalized to reflect the life and legacy of the deceased, offering a platform for family and friends to share memories, photos, and videos. Virtual guest books enable attendees to leave messages of condolence, and offer a comforting presence for visitors.

Online obituaries go beyond traditional obituaries by creating an interactive community gathering space. They can be tailored to be private, where only close family members contribute updates and memorial details, or they can be open, allowing a wider circle of friends and relatives to share their stories, express condolences, and offer support. These memorials can also host digitized physical photos and videos, ensuring that cherished moments are easily accessible and shared.

In addition, online obituaries can include links to donate funds to specific organizations that were most meaningful to the deceased, extending their legacy through ongoing acts of generosity. By bringing together loved ones, both near and far, virtual memorials create a meaningful, supportive environment that fosters healing and closure during the grieving process.

Streaming Services: For Jewish families, virtual memorials can be designed to respect and incorporate traditional practices while accommodating loved ones from around the globe. Shivas, which are typically held in the home of the bereaved, can now be conducted online, allowing family and friends to come together regardless of location. Virtual shiva services provide an opportunity for prayers, readings, and the recitation of the Kaddish to be shared in real-time, offering a sense of community and support. Additionally, online platforms allow for personalized elements such as digital photo slideshows, video tributes, and messages from participants, enhancing the experience and helping preserve memories. These innovations ensure that Jewish mourning rituals are honored while meeting the needs of a modern, connected world.

Other Ways to Embrace Technologies

Virtual memorials are just one of the many ways technology can help us honor loved ones and support the bereaved. Here are a few additional methods to stay connected and share memories:
Social Media – Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram provide an additional venue to announce the passing of a loved one, host obituaries, and share memories through text, photos, and videos. Social media is also an excellent tool for reaching out to distant family and friends, organizing fundraisers, and sharing your virtual memorial site with a broader audience.
Group Chats – Group chats and text threads offer an intimate way for loved ones to stay in touch, share photos and videos, and recount stories about the deceased. These groups can be tailored to include only close family members for private grieving or expanded to a larger group if broader support is needed.

A Virtual Space for Vital Connections

At Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary, we understand that in times of loss, staying connected and honoring the memory of a loved one is essential to the healing process. Virtual memorials provide a unique and meaningful way to bring people together, regardless of physical distance, allowing for a shared space where memories can be cherished and support can be offered. As we embrace technology, we find new ways to celebrate the lives of those we’ve lost and navigate the difficult journey of grief with love and support.

For more information on how we can assist you in creating a lasting tribute, please contact us today.

While technology like social media allows us to memorialize our loved ones in new, meaningful ways, attending a funeral remains one of the most important ways to support the bereaved and honor the legacy of the deceased. Unfortunately, far away friends and family cannot always take part in these important ceremonies because of health issues, caregiving responsibilities, and other obligations that make travel difficult. Fortunately, live streaming can help everyone participate in these important events, regardless of their physical location.

Streaming Services at Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary

In Jewish tradition, funerals are often arranged soon after a loved one passes, which can make travel challenging for those who live far away. Live streaming helps bridge this gap, offering a way for everyone to be present, even when physical attendance isn’t possible. While general services like Zoom can help connect people, they often come with limitations such as subpar equipment, poor audio, unstable connections, and the potential for interruptions which can detract from the experience during these delicate moments.

At Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary, we understand the importance of providing a seamless and respectful experience. That’s why at Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary we offer live streaming services in both our Small and Large Sanctuaries as well as graveside. Using high-definition cameras and premium sound equipment onsite, we ensure every detail of your ceremony is captured in high definition video and audio. To protect the privacy of the service, our streams are password-protected, ensuring that only those you invite can attend.

Our professional and dedicated staff handles all the technical aspects of the live stream, allowing you to focus entirely on honoring your loved one and supporting each other as a community. This service not only connects those who are unable to travel but also ensures that the memory of your loved one is honored with the dignity and care they deserve.

Learn More about Our Streaming Services

Our streaming services are a thoughtful way to close the distance for mourners who wish to participate but cannot be physically present. If you’d like to learn more about how our live streaming options can help your loved ones attend funeral and memorial services at Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary, please reach out to one of our Family Service Advisors for details. We are here to support you in every way we can during this difficult time.

In today’s digital age, our online presence – from treasured photos and social media profiles to personal blogs and online accounts – forever captures our memories, experiences, and relationships. When a loved one passes away, preserving these digital memories can offer comfort and lasting connection, yet the process can feel overwhelming. This step-by-step guide will help you navigate the process, ensuring their digital presence continues to be a meaningful source of remembrance.

Make an Inventory of Your Digital Assets

The first step in creating a digital legacy is to take stock of all the digital assets that your loved one left behind. This includes everything from social media accounts, email addresses, and cloud storage to digital photos, videos, and any other online content they created or stored. It’s important to compile all these digital assets into a comprehensive list, along with the credentials (usernames, passwords) needed for access.

Taking the time to create this inventory allows you to ensure that nothing is overlooked. It may be a challenging task, especially as you come across memories that evoke deep emotions, but it is a crucial step in preserving their digital presence.

Organize Your Assets

Once you have compiled a list of digital assets, the next step is to organize them. This might involve grouping assets into categories—such as social media accounts, financial accounts, and personal files—or prioritizing them based on their significance.

Organizing these assets not only makes it easier to manage them but also allows you to decide which elements of their digital life you wish to preserve, share, or even close down. For example, you may choose to archive their personal blog as a lasting tribute or create a digital photo album featuring their life’s joyful moments.

Appoint an Executor for Your Digital Legacy

Just as you would appoint an executor for a will, it’s important to appoint someone you trust to carry out your wishes regarding the preservation and distribution of digital assets.

Selecting the right person is essential, as they will need to handle sensitive information and make decisions that honor the memory of your loved one. Ensure that this person understands the importance of the role and is comfortable with the responsibilities that come with it.

Lay Out Your Wishes and Instructions

After organizing your loved one’s digital assets, it’s time to lay out clear wishes and instructions for how you want each asset to be handled. This might include guidelines for which accounts should be memorialized, which content should be shared with family and friends, and which should remain private or be deleted.

These instructions will serve as a roadmap for the executor, ensuring that your loved one’s digital legacy is managed in a way that aligns with their values and your family’s wishes.

Securely Pass Along Credentials

Finally, it’s crucial to securely pass along the necessary credentials to the executor of the digital legacy. This can be done through a password manager or a secure document that contains all the login information for the digital assets.

By ensuring that these credentials are safely stored and accessible, you enable the executor to carry out their duties without unnecessary complications.

Honoring Your Loved One Online

Creating a digital legacy for a loved one is a deeply personal and meaningful way to honor their memory. By taking the time to inventory, organize, and plan for the management of digital assets, you ensure that your loved one’s legacy continues to resonate in the hearts of those they touched and for generations to come.

In this delicate process, remember that there is no right or wrong way to handle your loved one’s digital legacy—only the way that feels most authentic to their memory.

Carrying on Jewish traditions for new generations is the core behind everything we do at Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary. But what is tradition? Why does it matter? Why do people still practice it today? Although it seems like an artifact of the past, tradition is actually a verb. It, changes, lives on, and binds new generations together. In fact, it’s because tradition changes that it is able to remain meaningful to Southern California’s Jewish and interfaith communities.. 

Mourning and Burial Traditions 

That’s no different for grieving and burial. In Jewish tradition, death is both inevitable and necessary. Hundreds of years of tradition is meant to help mourners navigate grief and honor the memories of their loved ones. For example, historically, the deceased are buried in a Tachrichim, a white cotton or linen burial garment. Today, many people are buried in their own clothes. 

Other traditions, while rooted in old practices, are new, such as loved ones being buried with a small jar of Earth from Israel. While the Torah states that being buried in Israel provides additional atonement for sins, for hundreds of years, members of the diaspora could not be buried there. The jar of Earth allows mourners to carry out this important ritual, to honor the deceased, and provide peace of mind.

While these shared traditions are at the center of what we provide, we also personalize each service and memorial to reflect the values of each unique family. Our caring, expert staff will help guide and support you as you make decisions for a final arrangement. In addition to our experience providing traditional observances, we also offer a wide array of custom memorials, and assist in the creation of customized memorials cards with our “Hillside Memorial Tributes” service. 

Traditions for New Generations 

Southern California’s Jewish community is diverse because for hundreds of years, members of the Jewish faith have nurtured and changed traditions all over the world. From Orthodox denominations, to reform movements and secular identities, every form of modern Judaism is actually part of a very long process of evolution. The rediscovery and reshaping of Jewish traditions serves as a bridge, connecting us to our ancestors across time and to each other across oceans, ensuring we remain rooted in our heritage while adapting to contemporary life. As traditions transform, they continue to provide comfort, meaning, and a sense of belonging to new generations, even as we define what it means to be Jewish today.

This important work is at the heart of our motto: Traditions for a New Generation. By honoring the past and embracing change, the Jewish and interfaith communities of Southern California can keep their rich cultural legacies alive. At Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary, we are dedicated to supporting this enduring connection, helping to weave the timeless threads of tradition into the fabric of modern life.

Grief is one of the most painful and personal experiences anyone can go through. It manifests differently for everyone, with no clear timeline for how long it will last, how it will evolve, or when peace of mind will return. However, this journey does not have to be endured alone. One certainty is that sharing your grief with others who are experiencing similar feelings can provide a unique form of support, helping you avoid the additional pain of isolation.

The Benefits of Grief Support Groups

Grief support groups offer a safe space to express your feelings and share your story, knowing others will be non-judgmental and empathetic. This shared experience creates an environment where members can validate each other’s feelings. In this atmosphere of acceptance, members can present their challenges to the group and gain insights on how to move forward.

Beyond informal support, group settings can also offer structured healing activities. Facilitators introduce participants to new coping skills, share information about grief, and dispel myths that may intensify feelings of loss. They may also organize therapeutic activities like journaling to help members reflect on their feelings and track their emotional progress over time.

Support Groups at Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary

At Hillside Memorial Park, our bereavement support groups are structured workshops designed to address specific aspects of grief. Led by Certified Grief Educator Maggi Scharf, M.Ed.,CPCC, each meeting is carefully planned to guide members through every step of the grieving process. Topics include defining grief and grieving, understanding that grief is a form of love, and learning that healing does not mean forgetting our loved ones. For more information about Maggi and our complete list of workshops, please visit the grief support group page on our website.

A Next Step Towards Peace of Mind

No matter how recently you’ve experienced loss or where you are in your grief journey, bereavement groups at Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary are meant to be a next step. Healing unfolds in its own time, but whether we help dispel misconceptions about grieving, deepen your understanding of the entire process, or just provide a safe space to share your story, our goal is always help you remember your loved ones while you find your way back to peace of mind.