caring service that fami-lies can trust for morethan 50 years.The privately held

company is operated bythe third generation of itsfounding families. “Ourgoal is to meet the needsof families in ways thatare personally tailored totheir desires,” says areasales director MarcRubin. “The death of aloved one is one of life’smost difficult experi-ences, and we under-stand that it is a privilegewhen a family trusts us tohelp them through it.”When you call Levitt &

Weinstein, you will neverget an answering service.“We have staff memberson duty 24 hours a day,seven days a week, soanyone who calls gets apersonal response,”Rubin Explained.Levitt & Weinstein is a

family managed firm thatpersonalizes every stepof planning and holding afuneral or memorial serv-ice. “When you come tous, you’re not ordering offa menu like you might bewith some other compa-nies,” Marc says. “In-stead, we customize thearrangements and finalresting places exactly ac-

cording to what the familywishes. For us, it’s neverabout what’s good forbusiness or for the ceme-tery. It’s about what thefamily desires.”

CUSTOMIZED MONUMENTS

"A stone or monumentis an age-old way of re-membering a loved one,and individuals havemany different desiresconcerning them, Rubinsaid. “Some people wantjust the name and datesof birth and death,” hesays. “Others want pic-tures on the stones, orpoetry or favorite say-ings. We can custom de-sign a stone ormonument to fit justabout every request.”Rubin recalls one fam-

ily who wanted a monu-ment in the shape of atennis racquet. “The de-ceased family memberwas an avid playerthroughout life, so that’show they wanted him tobe remembered,” saidRubin. “We also had awife who requested amonument carved in theshape of a cowboy hatlike the one her husbandalways wore.”A final resting place is

also very personal, andLevitt & Weinstein helpsthe family fulfill their de-sires. One family re-

quested a location over-looking a lake in a park-like setting, and stafffound exactly the rightspot. “Another familywanted something veryprivate, so we created agated area that no onecould enter without per-mission,” Rubin pointedout.Another family wanted

a private mausoleum thatwould accommodateeight people. “We custombuilt one exactly toorder,” he said.Unlike many funeral

businesses, Levitt & We-instein is still privatelyowned rather than part ofa publicly traded com-pany. “At a time of grief,people want to deal withsomeone they know theycan count on, someonewho is part of the com-munity,” said Rubin.“They have that with us.Our directors have morethan 100 combined yearsof arranging experience,and because we are pri-vately owned, we canmake decisions quickly.”

PRE-PLANNING CANHELP

Pre-planning can makethe funeral process just abit easier for those leftbehind. “The individualcan be sure that he orshe will get exactly whathe or she wishes, and thefamily doesn’t have to

wonder if they are doingthe right thing,” Rubin ex-plained. “Families areunder a lot of stress at atime of bereavement, andthere can be disagree-ments and hard feelings.With preplanning, there’snone of that, becauseeverything has beentaken care of. And thereare also financial advan-tages.”Although about 90 per-

cent of the families Levitt-Weinstein serves choosepreplanning, it can be dif-ficult to get some peopleto think about theprocess. “You plan for avacation, a wedding, abar mitzvah or a birthdayparty,” said Rubin. “It’sjust as important to plana funeral. Why put theburden of those decisionson your family? Planningeliminates misunder-standing and makes itmuch easier for yourloved ones.”He continues, “It’s just

another part of estateplanning, like making awill. If you make a plan,you can arrange to payfor it over a period oftime, without interestcharges. When you needit, your family will nothave to deal with the ad-ditional burden of ex-penses as well as thefinancial burden that isplaced on the family ontheir worst day."

MANY LOCATIONS.LONG DISTANCEARRANGEMENTSLevitt-Weinstein has

cemeteries and memorialchapels in Palm Beach,Broward and Miami-Dadecounties, and it is theonly one in Palm Beachitself. They can ship yourloved one anywhere inthe country, and canmake long distancearrangements anywherein the world.

Levitt-Weinstein, Blas-berg Rubin-Zilbert haslong focused on theneeds and traditions ofthe Jewish community,and it offers services forthose who want tradi-tional burials. However,its services are availableto everyone. No one isturned away because offinancial hardship.“Everyone is welcome,”Marc says. “It is our goalto serve anyone whoneeds us.”

Page 6A South Florida Sun-Times/Thursday, September 27, 2012 – 954-458-0635 – sfsuntimes@aol.com – www.southfloridasun.net

These locations are available toserve you:

Beth David Memorial Gardens 3201 NW 72nd Avenue Hollywood, FL 34785 Phone: (954) 963-2400

Blasberg-Rubin-Zilbert MemorialChapel

720 71st Street, Miami Beach, FL 33141 Phone: (305) 865-2353

Levitt Weinstein Memorial Chapel 3691 Seacrest Blvd.Lantana, FL 33462

Levitt Weinstein Boca 7500 N. State Road 7

Coconut Creek, FL 33073 Phone: (954) 427-6500

Levitt Weinstein Eternal Light Funeral Service Center 18840 W. Dixie Highway

North Miami Beach, FL 33180 Phone: (305) 932-2700

Levitt Weinstein Tamarac 8135 W. McNab Rd. Tamarac, FL 33321

Phone: (954) 721-2500

Levitt Weinstein at Beth David 3201 NW 72nd Ave Hollywood, FL 33024 Phone: (954) 963-2400

Levitt-Weinstein Memorial: The Place To Trust in Time of Need

Levitt-Weinstein, Blasberg Rubin-Zilbert has long focused on the needs and traditions of the Jewish community,and it offers services for those who want traditional burials. However, its services are available to everyone. No

one is turned away because of financial hardship.

LevittFrom Page 1A

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