1. Our commitment to privacy

Bet-Olam Jewish Funerals (ABN 88 154 670 023) (“Bet-Olam”, “we”, “us” or “our”) respects the privacy, dignity and choices of the people and families we serve.

Funeral arrangements necessarily involve receiving information about deceased persons, family members, Next of Kin, officiants and others. Some of this information may be personal or sensitive.

We aim to collect, hold, use and disclose information only where it is reasonably necessary for our work, appropriate to the purpose for which it was provided, authorised by the person concerned, or otherwise permitted or required by law.

This policy explains how Bet-Olam manages personal information having regard to the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

2. Who and what this policy covers

This policy applies to personal information held by Bet-Olam about living individuals, including:

  •  Next of Kin and other family members;
  • people making pre-arrangements for their own funerals;
  • clients and prospective clients;
  • rabbis, cantors, celebrants and other officiants;
  • employees, contractors and volunteers, where applicable;
  • suppliers and professional advisers;
  • donors, supporters and community contacts; and
  • people who communicate or interact with us, including through our website.

The Privacy Act does not generally treat information solely about a deceased person as personal information. However, information about a deceased person may also reveal personal or sensitive information about living people.

Irrespective of whether information about a deceased person is legally classified as personal information, Bet-Olam recognises the importance of treating information entrusted to us following a death with dignity, sensitivity and appropriate confidentiality.

3. What information we may collect

The information we collect depends upon the circumstances and our relationship with the person concerned.

It may include:

  • names, addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses;
  • dates of birth and death;
  • Next of Kin and family contact information;
  • information required to arrange and conduct a funeral, burial, cremation, consecration or related service;
  • information required to register a death or comply with cemetery, government or legal requirements;
  • billing and payment information;
  • information about services requested or provided;
  • funeral pre-arrangement information;
  • correspondence and records of communications with us;
  • information concerning a person’s wishes regarding funeral arrangements;
  • information necessary to contact an officiant, congregation, cemetery, supplier or other service provider; and
  • other information voluntarily provided to us where relevant to the services we provide.

4. Sensitive information

In providing our services, Bet-Olam may receive sensitive information about a living individual, including information concerning religious beliefs or affiliation, racial or ethnic origin, health or other matters classified as sensitive information under the Privacy Act.

We will only collect sensitive information where it is reasonably necessary for our functions or activities and where the collection is permitted by law, including where the person concerned has consented or another lawful basis applies.

Religious or congregational information provided in connection with arranging a funeral will be treated with particular care.

Providing Bet-Olam with information about congregational affiliation does not, by itself, constitute consent for that information to be distributed generally.

5. How we collect information

Where reasonable and practicable, we collect personal information directly from the person concerned.

In the course of arranging a funeral or related service, information may also be provided by:

  • Next of Kin or other family members;
  • executors or authorised representatives;
  • hospitals, aged-care facilities or health services;
  • rabbis, cantors, congregations or celebrants;
  • cemeteries;
  • government agencies;
  • professional advisers or service providers; or
  • other people involved in arranging or conducting the funeral.

We may also collect information through our website, electronic forms, email, telephone calls and other communications.
Where we receive personal information that we did not request and are not required or permitted to retain, we will deal with it in accordance with applicable privacy law.

6. Why we collect and use information

We may collect, hold and use personal information where reasonably necessary to:

  • arrange and conduct funerals and related services;
  • communicate with Next of Kin, families and authorised representatives;
  • give effect to the family’s funeral choices and instructions;
  • liaise with cemeteries, officiants, congregations and service providers where necessary;
  • complete death registration and other legal or administrative requirements;
  • manage pre-arranged funeral plans;
  • process payments and maintain financial records;
  • maintain accurate historical and operational records;
  • respond to inquiries, feedback and complaints;
  • manage our employees, contractors, suppliers and professional relationships;
  • improve our services and systems;
  • comply with legal, regulatory and governance requirements; and
  • communicate with people who have asked or agreed to receive information from us.

We will not ordinarily use information collected for the purpose of arranging a funeral for an unrelated purpose without consent or another proper basis for doing so.

7. Family choice and congregational affiliation

Bet-Olam recognises that congregational affiliation can be personal and that some people belong to more than one congregation or community.

Information about a deceased person’s congregational affiliation may be collected to help us understand the family’s circumstances, contact an appropriate congregation or officiant where requested, or otherwise facilitate the funeral.

Bet-Olam will not ordinarily include congregational affiliation in a general communal death notification.

Where communication with a particular congregation is appropriate or requested by the family, Bet-Olam may communicate directly with that congregation.

8. Choice of officiant

Families may be asked whether they prefer a rabbi, cantor or civil celebrant to officiate and, where a rabbi or cantor is requested, whether they have a preferred rabbi or cantor.

Information concerning the family’s choice of officiant is collected for the purpose of arranging and conducting the funeral.

The identity of an officiant will be provided to people who reasonably need that information for the arrangement or conduct of the funeral, or where the family or officiant has authorised wider disclosure.
It will not ordinarily be included in general communal death notifications merely because recipients may wish to know who is officiating.

Where a family independently engages an officiant, information about fees or other private arrangements between the family and that officiant will not ordinarily be collected or disclosed by Bet-Olam unless necessary for our services or otherwise authorised or required by law.

9. Pastoral care

Bet-Olam recognises the valuable pastoral care that rabbis, cantors, congregations and pastoral-care volunteers may provide to bereaved families.

Where appropriate, we may ask a family whether they would welcome contact from a rabbi, cantor or synagogue pastoral-care volunteer.

Where the family agrees, Bet-Olam may, with their permission, provide the relevant contact information to the appropriate rabbi, cantor, congregation or pastoral-care service.

Where the family does not wish to receive such contact, Bet-Olam will respect that choice.

Information entrusted to Bet-Olam for the purpose of arranging a funeral will not ordinarily be disclosed for congregational recruitment or membership-development purposes without consent or another proper basis.

10. Death notifications

Bet-Olam may advise PJV congregations and other appropriate communal contacts that a death has occurred.

For the purposes of general communal circulation, a death notification will ordinarily contain only:

  • the name of the deceased;
  • Next of Kin or family relationships
  • and funeral or other details that the family has authorised for public or communal circulation.

A general death notification will not ordinarily include:

  • the deceased person’s congregational affiliation;
  • Next of Kin or family contact details;
  • the identity of the officiant; or
  • other information obtained during funeral arrangements,

unless the information is necessary for the purpose of the communication, has been authorised for disclosure, is already intended for public circulation, or there is another proper basis for its inclusion.

The fact that information may be of interest to recipients does not, by itself, provide a reason for Bet-Olam to disclose it.

11. When we disclose personal information

Bet-Olam does not sell, rent or trade personal information.

We may disclose personal information where reasonably necessary to provide our services or where permitted or required by law, including to:

  • cemeteries and crematoria;
  • government departments and authorities, including Births, Deaths and Marriages;
  • rabbis, cantors, celebrants or other officiants involved in a funeral;
  • service providers assisting with a funeral or related service;
  • professional advisers, insurers, auditors or technology providers where appropriate;
  • a congregation or pastoral-care provider where the family has requested or authorised contact;
  • family members or authorised representatives where appropriate; and
  • other parties where the person concerned has consented or disclosure is otherwise authorised or required by law.

We will endeavour to disclose no more information than is reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose.

12. Historical records

Bet-Olam recognises the historical and genealogical importance of Jewish funeral and burial records.

Where Bet-Olam proposes to provide information to an historical, genealogical or archival organisation, including the Australian Jewish Historical Society, families will be informed of the proposed disclosure where appropriate and any available choice concerning that disclosure.

Bet-Olam will periodically review arrangements for sharing historical information to ensure they remain appropriate and consistent with this policy and applicable law.

13. Direct marketing and community communications

Bet-Olam may send newsletters, invitations, information about our services or other community communications to people who have requested, consented to or would reasonably expect to receive them, where permitted by law.

Recipients may opt out of such communications at any time using the unsubscribe facility provided or by contacting us.

Information obtained from a bereaved family for the purpose of arranging a funeral will not, merely because it has been provided to Bet-Olam, be treated as consent to receive marketing communications.

14. Website information and cookies

Our website may collect technical information about visits, including browser and device information, pages visited and similar usage data.
We may use cookies and analytics technologies to operate and improve our website and understand how it is used.

Where required, users may adjust their browser or other settings to limit cookies, although doing so may affect some website functions.

Our website may contain links to third-party websites. Bet-Olam is not responsible for the privacy practices of those websites.

15. How we protect information

Bet-Olam takes reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.

These measures may include appropriate physical, technological and administrative safeguards, access controls, password protection, staff training, confidentiality requirements and information-security procedures.

Where personal information is no longer required, Bet-Olam will take reasonable steps to destroy or de-identify it, subject to legal, regulatory, historical and legitimate record-keeping requirements.

16. Data breaches

Bet-Olam will respond to suspected or actual data breaches promptly and take appropriate steps to contain and assess the breach.

Where the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme or another legal requirement applies, Bet-Olam will make any required notifications.

17. Overseas access and disclosure

Some electronic systems or service providers used by Bet-Olam may store or process information using infrastructure located outside Australia or capable of being accessed from overseas.

Where personal information is disclosed overseas, Bet-Olam will take steps required by applicable privacy law.

Information may also be communicated to family members or other people overseas where requested or necessary for the provision of our services.

18. Accessing or correcting your personal information

A person may contact Bet-Olam to request access to personal information we hold about them or to ask us to correct information that is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading.

We will respond to requests in accordance with applicable privacy law.
In some circumstances we may be permitted or required to refuse access. Where this occurs, we will explain the basis for the decision where required by law.

19. Privacy inquiries and complaints

Questions or concerns about privacy, or complaints about the way Bet-Olam has handled personal information, should be directed to:

The Bet-Olam Board
Bet-Olam Jewish Funerals
Email: info@jewishfunerals.org.au

We will acknowledge and investigate privacy complaints and endeavour to respond within a reasonable period.

If a person is dissatisfied with our response and the Privacy Act applies, they may be entitled to complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.

20. Changes to this policy
Bet-Olam may review and update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, services or legal obligations.

The current version will be made available on our website and will show the date on which it was last reviewed.

This Privacy Policy was last modified on 5 October 2026.