Gutterman and Musicant Jewish Funeral Directors

“I am writing this on behalf of my grandmother, who no longer can. She deserved far better than what she received on the day of her funeral, and so did we - her grieving family. From the beginning, there was no communication or direction about what to expect on the day of the funeral. We assumed there would be guidance once we arrived, but that never happened. No one greeted the immediate family when we arrived. We were left confused about where to go or what to do next. When we gathered quietly in the chapel, we were abruptly told to leave because another service was ahead of ours. It was disorienting, upsetting, and completely avoidable with even minimal coordination. We were then left waiting in the lobby as extended family and friends arrived. While our family did our best to handle it, I cannot imagine placing any newly bereaved family in that situation. It was uncomfortable, chaotic, and felt deeply inconsiderate. Only ten minutes before the service were we finally guided to the grief room - where we should have been from the start. In that emotional moment, we looked for something as basic as tissues and water and found neither. The lack of thoughtfulness was stunning. The bronzed shovel mounted on the wall was jarring and, frankly, inappropriate for a space meant to provide comfort to grieving families. The worst moment of the day was this: after my uncle was asked to identify my grandmother in her coffin before she was placed in the hearse, he was immediately handed a bill and asked to pay the remaining balance. In that moment of raw grief, this felt cold, transactional, and profoundly insensitive. This conversation could have taken place at any other time - before the service or days afterward - not seconds after identifying his mother’s body. At the gravesite, the dirt from my grandmother’s grave had been piled directly onto my grandfather’s headstone. We were left brushing soil off his name with our hands. This should never have happened. It showed a troubling lack of respect for both the deceased and their families. Just when I thought nothing else could surprise me, I opened the prayer book during the Mourner’s Kaddish and found the cantor’s business cards tucked into the front pocket. During a sacred moment, we were being marketed to. It was obvious and deeply inappropriate. My grandmother believed in karma. So do I. I truly hope that leadership reflects deeply on how families are being treated during the most vulnerable moments of their lives, because no one else should have the experience we had. ****UPDATED REVIEW*** In response to your response, I did not make an error in leaving this review. My dear grandmothers obituary is still featured on the main page of your website.”

— Heather Frankfurt

“I called Gutterman and Musicant the day before my husband passed. There was no time to prepare for the future. David made the process seamless and guided me through step by step to ensure that the funeral ran smoothly and with the dignity and integrity that we hoped for. Their responsiveness to my several phone calls was immediate and their professionalism was evident. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them.”

— Arlene Pugach

“I thought I would wait some time before I posted my feelings, to see if my impressions have subsided. They haven't. Now, three weeks later, I am still livid at how Gutterman & Musicant completely failed my family and me during the PRE-PLANNED funeral for my mother. The Gutterman funeral director had already mentioned to me on the phone during the initial mourning period that it was a "busy weekend," the funeral home facility was completely booked, and we were given the choice to hold the service at the cemetery chapel, rather than at the Gutterman facility in Hackensack. I agreed, thinking that logistics would be easier to handle on such an emotional day. My brother, sister-in-law, and I then met the director at Gutterman the day prior to the funeral to review the funeral details, including timing and Gutterman's responsibilities. We were told in no uncertain terms that due to this being a pre-planned funeral, there would be no problems...."It will go smooth as silk" are the words I recall hearing. It did NOT go smooth as silk. It all started with the director not posting the obituary on the Gutterman webpage in a timely manner thereby confusing out-of-town mourners. And, then once it was posted, it gave ambiguous information regarding the actual name of the cemetery chapel, making it difficult for those not acquainted with the cemetery to even find the chapel. Once the family arrived at the cemetery chapel on the day of the funeral, there was NO ONE from Gutterman to meet us, direct us, inform us, or otherwise DO THEIR JOB. It became a chaotic and confusing scenario. Understaffed on a "busy weekend." After 30-45 minutes, the hearse arrived, and a Gutterman director found me waiting in the chapel lobby. It was then that she asked for me to formally identify the body. I assumed the identification would be in a quiet, private, dignified area of the facility. Oh, I was so wrong. IN THE PARKING LOT OF THE CEMETERY, FEET FROM THE ENTRANCE DOOR, THE DIRECTOR OPENED UP THE BACK OF THE HEARSE, ROLLED OUT, AND OPENED THE COFFIN FOR ME TO IDENTIFY MY RECENTLY DECEASED MOTHER. In. The. Parking lot! With strangers, and other mourners walking by. I was dumbfounded. This is dignity? This is compassion? NOT A SHRED. For Gutterman, this appeared to be standard operating procedure. Just all business: "Let's get this one done. We've got more to bury today." And, to add insult to this, this on-site director then presented me with an INVOICE, and asked me right then and there to write out a check for the outstanding balance! I was shaking I was so upset. I insisted that she open the front door of the hearse for me to sit so I would not be seen by my family and friends "settling up." But, that still wasn't the end of it. Once our entire group of mourners were ushered into the chapel, we were promptly told by the director to exit, as another service was scheduled ahead of us. The immediate family was asked to wait in the ante room to speak with the officiating cantor. She, too, was looking for the on-site Gutterman director, who had now mysteriously disappeared. Additionally, this ante room had no amenities...no tissues, no water, nothing other than a mounted bronze shovel on a wall. Truly pathetic, and impersonal. After the chapel service, the burial site was just as inattentively prepared, as the dirt from the newly dug grave was piled on and over the footstone of my father's grave. No one made any attempt to clean it off, or to afford any dignity to those already interred, most especially other family members. Despite the corporate name DIGNITY, above the Gutterman & Musicant logo, our experience was anything but dignified. What it did do was to create a lasting impression of disrespect and a general lack of caring, during what should have been a loving memory of a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother who wanted to leave this life in a dignified manner; the same way she lived. Would I recommend Gutterman & Musicant to anyone? Not in a million years. I remain disappointed, and still livid.”

— G T.