Smoking Regulations at Home and Abroad

When I asked my son Ari what he wanted for his 30th birthday, he replied, “A golf trip to Scotland with my father.” Great strategy for, if he had said a golf trip to Scotland with a friend, what would have been my response? This seemed rather doable.

As I contemplated previous trips to Europe, I recalled the difficulty of visiting places in countries with no restrictions on smoking where seemingly everyone smoked. I have been a non-smoker my entire life and am quite uncomfortable when someone lights up within smelling distance of where I am sitting.

To my absolute delight upon arrival, I learned that Scotland had now become a non-smoking country, as least for public buildings, restaurants, hotels and other public venues. I can report a fabulous trip with incredible golf, great memories and only one offense with the whole smoking issue. That was my caddie at St. Andrews Links, as he sauntered the course rolling his smokes with a parade of jokes that made him a walking comedian.

I left asking myself why Michigan is unable to enact laws with the same restrictions? I wonder why non-smokers must be subjected to second-hand smoke, when it is hard to refute the argument that it is dangerous to those exposed to someone's burning cigarette or cigar? I pray on behalf of my children and grandchildren that the legislators of Michigan find a way to join the many states and nations that believe their citizens are entitled to clean air in public places.

David Techner, Funeral Director

Marable’s Legacy

The funeral announcement started off simply: “Marabel Chanin, 88, of Detroit, died on 26 December 2008.” It then went on to say, “The funeral was held at Graveside on Thursday, 21 May 2009 at 2:00 PM. Rabbi Harold Loss and Cantorial Soloist Neil Michaels officiated.” Why, you might ask, was the funeral date almost five months later? After all, aren’t most Jews buried within a few days of death?

Marable was one of those people who fall through the cracks. Somehow it happens, a sad reminder of today’s busy, less personal world. She lived alone in Detroit and died alone of natural causes, the only person on her street, away from family and friends – so much so, that her body lay unclaimed in the Wayne County Morgue for months. It wasn’t until a distant relative saw a story about her on Fox 2 and put two and two together, that her passing could be properly celebrated.

And what a moving ceremony it was! Somewhat strange, but very moving. Not one person who attended actually knew Marable and most weren’t Jewish. They came out of respect for her, because they didn’t want her to be buried unheralded, without anyone caring.

Something needs to be done for all the Marabels out there, Jews and non-Jews alike. Brad Edwards from Fox 2, Phil Douma who is the executive director at the Michigan Funeral Directors Association (MFDA), and I are currently working with MFDA on an initiative to get all unclaimed bodies identified and buried. We are hoping to have funeral directors donate their time and a basic casket. Maybe that will be Marable’s legacy – to help set in motion a community effort where nobody dies alone or is buried alone. In fact, the first step is underway: a fund is being set up with donations that were given in Marabel’s honor to be used to help other individuals like her.

David Techner, Funeral Director

Out of Town Arrangements

A husband and wife walked in to The Ira Kaufman Chapel the other day to pre-arrange their funerals. They are in perfect health and have been spending winters in Florida for a little more than a decade. This winter two of their inner circle of friends in Florida died unexpectedly. It left them uneasy and feeling very unprepared about what to do if they were suddenly in the same position.

Their two children live out of town and they had not selected cemetery space. Their biggest question was, if death occurs in Florida, whom do they call first - the Florida funeral home or The Ira Kaufman Chapel?

My answer to them was to contact us. We would call our colleagues in Florida with whom we work regularly. I took statistical information required for a death certificate as well as what is required these days for newspaper notices. They had no interest in selecting or paying for their funeral ahead of time, but left assured that, if something were to happen, they were armed with the knowledge and confidence to navigate through the experience. I am certain they will also encourage some of their other friends to prepare themselves for a contingency like this.

David M. Techner
Funeral Director

Is the Funeral Industry Recession-Proof?

It seems appropriate that one of my earliest blogs should be about the economy, since that seems to be first and foremost on everyone's mind these days. We are facing an unemployment rate approaching the highest it has been in my lifetime, the Dow reduced to half its worth in a very short period and real estate numbers a fraction of what they were just a few years ago. Confidence in the future is at an all time low.

In discussing a recession versus a depression, an MSNBC host was asked to explain the difference. "When your neighbor loses his job, it's a recession. When YOU lose your job, it's a depression. Whatever your definition, the one certainty is that our community is experiencing great pain.”

Almost daily someone will tell me, either when I am out in the community somewhere or at the Chapel, that the funeral business is one not affected by the economy - a recession proof business. Think about this for a moment. We meet and interact with families experiencing pain. Never has there been a time when people have come to us hurting so deeply in addition to the grief they are experiencing over the loss of their beloved family member. As in every business, we face challenges in continuing to offer services that have meaning while being sensitive to economic hardships facing our entire community.

David Techner, Funeral Director

A Funeral Director On Blogging

A funeral director blogging on his funeral home’s Web site. This is nothing I could have ever imagined when I graduated from Mortuary School 35 years ago. Yet, what a wonderful opportunity to inform, to educate and to share ideas, while the community is navigating The Ira Kaufman Chapel Web site seeking the time of a funeral, shiva information or where a family wishes contributions be directed in memory of their loved one.
 
As I begin my journey in the blogosphere, I ask for your input. If you would like me to blog about any particular topic, let me know. My greatest fear is that I will run out of things to write about. My wife and children assure me there is no danger of this happening. Just in case they happen to be wrong, feel free to email me with your thoughts, dmtec51@msn.com

David Techner, Funeral Director