Honoraria Guidelines

Honoraria for Life-cycle Events

The Massachusetts Board of Rabbis sets the honorarium rate for rabbis statewide who officiate at funeral services for those not affiliated with synagogues, and informs funeral homes and other organizations of those rates. We believe in upholding the dignity and care that Jewish funerals so deeply deserve, and we strive to provide clarity and transparency regarding compensating rabbis and other Jewish clergy for officiating at these ceremonies. We are grateful that our wider community appreciates fairly compensating clergy for their time and service, particularly in moments of profound significance for grieving families.

The current standard honoraria and fees approved by the MBR, effective May 30, 2025, are:

• $700 for a graveside-only service

• $800 for a two-location service (i.e., chapel service, and then a graveside service)

We greatly value the respectful and collaborative relationship we have long shared with funeral homes and funeral directors across the Commonwealth regarding these honoraria fee rates.