The Brezniak-Rodman Funeral Home was founded in 1992 in Newton, Massachusetts by David Brezniak and George Rodman.
Morris William Brezniak ( 1917-1998)
Morris W. Brezniak was born in Boston’ s West End. As a young man he worked for his father at Goldstein’s moving company. No one in the family understands why it was called Goldstein’s Moving Company since it was started by Morris’ father, Harry Brezniak, in 1905 .Goldstein’s was a very busy company serving the Jewish community which moved from the West and North end of Boston to the Jewish suburbs of Dorchester and then to Mattapan . In 1942 he married Beatrice Levine, grandaughter of Jacob H. Levine, founder of the The Levine Chapel and daughter of Henry Levine .Morris had every intention of continuing in his father’s business when on the fateful evening of November 28, 1942 tragedy struck Boston when the infamous Coconut Grove Fire claimed 492 lives. Morris was recruited by his father- in-law to help in the task of removing so many people from the Boston City Morgue .Morris never talked about that experience but from that tragedy he felt a calling to help people in their most difficult time. Morris graduated mortuary school and joined the family business in 1950, where he served as President of The Levine Chapels until the Brezniak family sold their interest in 1989.In 1992 he joined his son at Brezniak-Rodman Chapel. He served on the Board of Directors of The West End House,and received the Keystone award from The National Boys and Girls Club of America. He was a Board member of Congregation Kehillath Israel and The New England Chassidic Center, Brookline, and the Jewish Funeral Directors of America. Morris was a longtime member of The Brookline Democratic Committee and was Deputy Sheriff of Norfolk County under Sheriff Peter McCormack .He was very well respected in the larger Jewish Community for his adherence to Jewish traditional funeral practices and the establishment of the first mikvah for the performing of Taharah ( Ritual washing) outside of New York in the United States. He also served as a mentor to many young funeral directors who worked for him for so many years . Morris had a tremendous sense of humor and would have enjoyed the irony of Levine and Stanetsky Chapel being owned by the same corporation , Service Corps International of Houston, Texas, on the New York Stock Exchange and operated by a family of good ole boys .
David Brezniak
David Brezniak is a fourth generation funeral director, whose great grandfather founded Levine Funeral Home in 1893 on Salem St. in the North End of Boston. In the 1920′s the funeral home moved to Dorchester, Massachusetts under the leadership of David’s great uncle Samuel Levine, where it remained until the late 1960’s. David’s late father, Morris W. Brezniak, joined David’s late grandfather, Henry Levine, at Levine Chapel in 1950. He remained active as president until 1989, when the Brezniak family sold their interest in the company.In July 2011 Levine Chapel was purchased by Service Corporation International of Houston, Texas .
David received his funeral directors license in 1967. He served as Vice-President of Levine Chapel until 1989. He founded Brezniak-Rodman Funeral Directors in West Newton in 1992.
- Appointed by Governor Mitt Romney in 2005, David served as Chairman of the State Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers, the first person of the Jewish faith to serve on that board
- Member of The National Board of Funeral Service Examiners
- Co-founder and past Executive Director of Kavod, The National Independent Jewish Funeral Directors of America and Canada
- A professional actor, he was an original member of “The Proposition” improv theatre in Cambridge and off-Broadway, and was in the original cast of ”Shear Madness ,Charles Playhouse
- Member of The Board of The Freelance Players
- Member of Temple Beth Shalom, Needham
- Chairman of the Board of Beth Jacob Synagogue, Newton, MA
- Founder of The Jewish Theatre of New England at The Leventhal-Sidman JCC , Newton
- Member of The Moses Michael Hays Lodge of Masons
- Man of the Year JCC Golf Tournament
George Rodman
- Past President of The Jewish Community Center, Stoughton
- Member Temple Israel, Sharon
- Co-Chairman of The Maccabee Games
- Past Chancellor of The Knights of Pythias
- Former Board Member of Combined Jewish Philanthropies
- Recipient of The First Annual Lights and Spice Ball of the JCC in recognition of service to the Jewish Community
NATHAN KATZ PATRICK
We are pleased to welcome Nathan to the Brezniak-Rodman staff and family as our new Funeral Director and Family Counselor. Licensed in May 2011, Nathan is the only Jewish born funeral director of his generation in Massachusetts.Growing up in Sharon, MA, Nathan and his family were dedicated members of Temple Adath (located on Harding St.). Under the tutelage of Rabbi Berkowitz and Cantor Daroff, Nathan learned the responsibility and privileges of growing up Jewish. Dedicating himself to his fellow neighbor, Nathan began volunteering time to the hospice of the good Shepherd in Newton and EPOCH Senior Healthcare in Chestnut Hill, Sharon, and Waltham, providing companionship and support when needed. Nathan became a “life enrichment assistant” at EPOCH of Sharon. Soon after, Nathan worked with Service Corporation International’s Stanetsky Chapel for three years, dedicating himself to helping Jewish families. Nathan is pleased to be associated with a family owned business.
RICHARD PERLMAN
Richard Perlman has joined the Brezniak-Rodman family of funeral directors after having been associated with his late father George Perlman and his brother Robert Perlman in the Perlman Funeral Home in Worcester for over 50 years. Fifteen years ago, Perlman Funeral Home was purchased by Service Corps. International of Houston, Texas, a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange. Richard managed the Perlman Funeral Home until September 22, 2011. Richard will direct and arrange services in the Worcester and Metro West area.
DEBORAH BRISS WOLFE
Deborah Briss Wolfe is a fifth generation funeral director whose great- great grandfather founded The Levine Chapel .Deborah worked at her family’s funeral home, Levine-Briss Funeral Home in Randolph until it was sold to Brezniak-Rodman Chapel. Deborah is a member of Temple Israel , Sharon, and is very happy to be working with her cousin David Brezniak and his partner George Rodman. Deborah is the mother of two daughters and the wife of Jason Wolfe , sports director of WEEI Boston.
In Memoriam
Mario DeStefano passed away on January 26, 2012. Mario was a funeral director, hired by the late Henry Levine he was the first non family member to arrange funerals at The Levine Chapel , Brookline where he was employed for over 45 years , shortly after The Brezniak-Rodman Chapel was founded he joined the chapel as a supervisor and funeral director where he remained until his passing.Mario will be missed by countless funeral professionals whom he mentored over his distinguished career.
