eCondolence.com™ and shiva.com™ Launch Viewneral™ the First Virtual and Interactive Way to Host Funerals and Memorials

eCONDOLENCE.COM™ and SHIVA.COM™ LAUNCH VIEWNERAL™ THE FIRST VIRTUAL AND INTERACTIVE WAY TO HOST FUNERALS AND MEMORIALS

New Covid-19 Regulations Require Small or No Gatherings. Viewneral™ Allows Funeral Directors To Conduct Virtual Funerals, Wakes, Shivas and Memorial Gatherings From the Safety and Comfort of Home.

Funeral Homes in New York, Chicago, and Baltimore Now Offering Viewnerals™.

CHICAGO, IL – March 27, 2020 – eCondolence.com™ and www.shiva.com™ today announced the launch of Viewneral™ the first interactive and collaborative virtual funeral and memorial service that allows families and friends to memorialize, eulogize, and celebrate loved ones from the comfort of their own home. Weinstein Memorial Chapels in New York, Sol Levinson & Bros., in Baltimore and Chicago Jewish Funerals are early adopters of Viewneral™ and are currently offering it to their grieving families.

“On an average day in the United States, there is an estimated 7,700 deaths, excluding Covid-19 victims, and funeral directors and their clients need a personalized, yet safe way to conduct these end of life ceremonies,” says Michael Schimmel, CEO of Sympathy Brands, parent company to eCondolence.com™ and shiva.com™. “Viewneral™ will never replace a hug that a mourner needs from family and friends, but during this time of social distancing this will allow loved ones to virtually gather to memorialize the deceased and support the mourning family.”

With the help of a funeral director, a family plans the Viewneral™, invites those who will participate in the service including clergy and those making eulogies, and allows up to 500 guests to virtually attend, communicate condolences and more. Guests receive a link to the end-of-life event that can include a funeral, burial, wake, shiva or memorial service. For further support, guests also have direct access to send the mourners memorial gifts, sympathy baskets, food and other appropriate items based on religion and culture.

Schimmel says they created Viewneral™ in record time as the gathering regulations regarding Covid-19 rapidly changed last week and continues to change. “We have a responsibility to help mourners bury loved ones and receive comfort. Our industry partners are looking for funeral alternatives but they also need guidance on how to assist their clients who are grieving,” says Schimmel.

Viewneral™ can be custom branded for each funeral home and is part of the eCondolence™ and shiva.com™ technology platforms that help funeral homes and cemeteries deliver a personalized and appropriate experience for mourning families at a time of loss. These platforms also provide critical educational information about religious and cultural customs, appropriate verbal and written condolence messages, suggested sympathy and commemorative gifts, and health and wellness safety measures. It allows the family to organize and communicate with their support systems about any specific funeral plans or aftercare sympathy needs such as food or contributions.

About eCondolence.com™ and shiva.com™
As part of the extensive Sympathy Brands portfolio, shiva.com™ and eCondolence.com™ offer a modern way to plan in advance for end-of-life arrangements, coordinate for a loved one, or send meaningful and religious appropriate condolences. Sympathy Brands strategic partners include best-in-class funeral homes, cemeteries, insurance companies, non-profits, bakeries and caterers to make planning and fulfillment supportive, convenient and seamless. For more information please visit www.eCondolence.com, www.shiva.com and www.sympathybrands.com.