Steps To Take Upon Losing a Parent,
Spouse or Loved One

• If the death occurs in a hospital, obtain the Teudat P’tira – תעודת פטירה – initial death certificate, from the attending Doctor and then go to the relevant hospital office for the Rishyon Kvura – רשיון קבורה – burial license. In the event that the hospital does not provide this service, go to the Chevra Kadisha directly.
• If the death occurs outside of a hospital, contact MADA – מד”א – Magen David Adom (Main switchboard number: 03-6300222) to obtain the Teudat P’tira – תעודת פטירה – initial death certificate from them and then ask the Chevra Kadisha to clarify who is responsible for getting the Rishyon Kvura – רשיון קבורה – burial license. They will often take care of it themselves.
• If a person dies at home and has a hospice letter from the visiting nurse or doctor, MADA will not need to call the police to investigate.
• In both cases, these documents need to be submitted to the Chevra Kadisha in order for the burial to take place.
• Note: When the Rishyon Kvura is requested from and then issued by the Misrad HaBriut – משרד הבריאות – Health Ministry, they in turn inform the Misrad HaPnim – משרד הפנים – Interior Ministry, of the death, and after approximately two weeks an official Teudat P’tira will be sent to the family.

• Banks – Bituach Leumi informs the banks when a person passes away. Check to make sure they did.
• If relevant, make sure that the bank account listed with Bituach Leumi to receive Kitzvat She’erim – קצבת שארים – survivor benefits is the correct one.

• If there are life insurance policies, speak to your insurance agent to see what you need to do to activate them.
• If you have foreign policies from your country of Aliyah you will need to contact the companies to see what documents they require. Some countries may request a notarized translation of the Hebrew death certificate with an Apostille. A lawyer can help with this and the cost might range from 600 – 1000 NIS or more.
• You may also need to inform your previous county’s government if the deceased was receiving any Social Security or government retirement benefits or if there are any additional administrative requirements. The country’s embassy in Israel should be able to explain and clarify what steps need to be taken.

• If there is a will, it needs to be submitted to the Apotropus HaKlalli – אפוטרופוס הכללי – Administrator General’s office and they will place a notice in local newspapers as mandated by law to confirm that there are no other claimants who might contest the will. This process can take up to three months.*
• If there is no will, please consult with a lawyer to understand the ramifications and its impact on the estate.

Verify that Kupat Cholim – קופת חולים – medical coverage for the deceased was canceled. Bituach Leumi is supposed to inform them but if they haven’t, arrange it yourself.

If relevant, return all medical equipment borrowed from places like Yad Sarah – יד שרה etc.

If there was a caregiver, contact their agency to arrange final payment and any severance, and remember to cancel or transfer the caregiver’s medical insurance policy and payments to them.

Cancel any mobile phone accounts in the deceased’s name.

• Check to see that your name, mobile number and Teudat Zehut – תעודת זהות – ID card number is listed on all accounts as the contact person. This applies to any service you are billed for such as Arnona – ארנונה – Municipal taxes, electricity, water, gas, cable TV, internet service, mobile phones and landline telephone, insurances – including home and car insurance, newspapers and magazine subscriptions etc.
• This also applies to all bank accounts, loans, investments, stocks, and retirement accounts as well.

Regarding updating ownership of joint assets such as a home, car or bank account etc. it is advisable to consult with a lawyer to determine what needs to be done to update the status.

Close down or transfer all email, social media and online accounts if necessary.