Bloomfield Cooper Jewish Chapels

This type of procedure ensures the dignity of the deceased, represents our expression of appreciation to Hashem for giving us a physical receptacle with which to live, and preserves the body so that the person can come back to life intact at the eventual time of the resurrection of the dead.Unfortunately however, as an increasing number of American Jews drift away from Jewish practice and tradition, numerous members of the Jewish people who do not identify with Orthodoxy – or even feel minimal fidelity to tradition – have opted for the decidedly non-Jewish trend of choosing to have their bodies cremated. This means that the individual’s body is literally burned and transformed into ashes.In New York City in particular, a sharp divide exists between Manhattan-based Jewish funeral homes that identify as traditional and the type of funeral chapel generally based in Brooklyn, which serves the strictly Orthodox community. One notable example of the former is Riverside Memorial Chapel, located on the Upper West Side, which most people perceive of as a traditional funeral home. However, a simple phone inquiry by the Jewish Voice revealed that Riverside does indeed perform cremations for those clients who request one.“Yes, we do arrange for cremations,” stated manager Angelo Ambrosio. “We have Reform rabbis who will preside over such a service, though they won’t participate in the actual cremation. Riverside handles all types of funeral services for members of the different denominations of Judaism; it all depends on the religious wishes of the family.” Of course, this seems to totally contradict the headline on Riverside’s website that proudly proclaims, “For generations, a symbol of Jewish tradition.”In fact, a multi-page General Price List produced by Riverside and obtained by the Jewish Voice backs up Ambrosio’s statements in full – and inglorious – detail. Under the heading Direct Cremation, key excerpts of two underlined paragraphs openly state the following:Our charge for a direct cremation (without ceremony) includes: basic services of Funer... (The Jewish Voice)

He was 68.His death was confirmed by the Bloomfield-Cooper Jewish Chapels in Ocean Township, N.J., which did not say where he died or give the cause.Mr. Antar, who was born on Dec. 18, 1947, grew his business from a single Brooklyn store, founded in 1969, into the largest consumer electronics chain in the New York metropolitan area, fueled in large part by the spread of the VCR. At its peak, the chain had 43 stores, with locations as far north as Boston and as far south as Philadelphia.As it expanded, Crazy Eddie also became famous for a memorable series of commercials starring an exuberant, fast-talking man many falsely believed to be Mr. Antar himself.The real star, a radio disc jockey named Jerry Carroll, performed in more than 7,500 radio and television commercials that ran for nearly 14 years, starting in 1975. The commercials always ended in the same way, with a signature touting of Crazy Eddie’s “in-s-a-a-a-a-ne” prices. The comedian Dan Aykroyd lampooned the advertisements on “Saturday Night Live.”A Crazy Eddie commercial.Video by frankamoMr. Antar took the business public at $8 a share in 1984. Within two years, its stock price hit $79 per share. At its peak, Crazy Eddie reported annual sales of more than $350 million.But that success was illusory. In 1987, dissident stockholders staged a takeover of the company. Within two weeks of the acquisition, they said they had discovered that $45 million in merchandise was missing. At the same time, federal prosecutors were building a case against Mr. Antar, charging that he had defrauded shareholders through stock manipulation.In the end, the authorities accused him and two brothers of skimming cash and inflating the value of the company. Even before going public, Mr. Antar would fly to Israel with cash strapped to his body as part of the skimming scheme, they said.Mr. Antar fled the country in 1990. He was found and arrested in Israel two years later, then extradited to the United States.Sam E. Antar, a cousin of Eddie’s, was the company’s chief financial officer. He pleaded guilty to frau... (New York Times)