History & Staff

About Us

Our History

Although Beth Shalom Chapels is new to the area and it is certainly not new to the funeral industry. Mr. & Mrs. Waitt purchased an old estate home property in Morganville and spent about a year converting the historic (over 100 year old) residence into a funeral home. "The homelike atmosphere was kept so our families would be comfortable." The grand opening was held in June of 1965.

When the funeral home opened, Marlboro Township had a population of about 4000 people. Over the years, the funeral home has grown to accommodate the ever growing population of Marlboro Township and the surrounding communities of Matawan, Aberdeen, Keyport, and Holmdel. In the 1980’s an addition was built on the building to enhance the chapel size and areas for families and their visitors. With the continued growth of the Jewish population moving into the area, Waitt Funeral Home has continued to provide both traditional and non traditional Jewish Services since its inception in 1965. At the request of several Rabbi’s, and prominent community leaders, the need for a full service Jewish Funeral Home Brand was inherent. Plans began for Beth Shalom Chapels which officially launched in November of 2018. Beth Shalom Chapels if a full service affordable Jewish Funeral Home Brand giving Jewish families an alternative without sacrificing service.

A Note from Karen & Michael....

We realize that you have a wide selection of funeral homes in this area to choose from, all offering caring compassionate services. At Beth Shalom Chapels we strive to give every family a funeral that is fitting, and a proper remembrance of their loved one. Everyone is special, and every funeral is special. We take great pride in our social responsibility and volunteer in numerous organizations in town. Our locations are new, accommodating, convenient, our prices are fair, we are 100 % honest, We are professional, we do not cut corners, and our motto is “to treat all families as we would our own.” For the families who have put their trust in us, we thank you, and for families looking for professional, honest and caring services, we strive to earn your trust.

David Hernandez Founder, Principal

David Lee Hernandez, Jr, a native of Northeast Philadelphia, after graduating high school from Calvary Christian Academy in Philadelphia, he relocated to Morganville, where he began his career as a mortuary science apprentice. David continued his studies where he earned an Associates of Science Degree and a Certificate of Proficiency in Funeral Services. He became a licensed funeral director in May of 2004, and later continued his education in Legal Studies at St. John’s University, New York.

He acquired his first funeral home in 2009 and has grown to operate Jersey’s largest family owned funeral home company, known as “Jersey Memorial Group”. His holdings include funeral homes and cemeteries in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Additionally, he also publishes a newspaper, “All Around Old Bridge” and is active in venture capital investments through 29029 Ventures, which focuses on emerging products and services impacting the mind, body and soul of local communities.

David is active in each community the funeral homes serve; he is Charter Member and past President of the Kiwanis Club of Manalapan, member of Old Bridge Kiwanis Club, member of the Friendly Sons of the Shillelagh in Belmar, trustee and board member of the Old Bridge- Sayreville- South Amboy Chamber of Commerce, board member of Pennsauken-Merchantville Area Chamber. He was recently elected to the foundation board of the Raritan Bay Medical Center Foundation in Old Bridge and Perth Amboy as the Vice Chair and Chair of Governance, as well as is a business leader in the Old Bridge Business Alliance. He has served as an officer in Middlesex Somerset Funeral Directors Association and is also a member of NJ State Funeral Directors Association, and National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA). His firms are nine-time NFDA Pursuit of Excellence Winners and was recently awarded the Best of the Best Award from NFDA as the top funeral home operator in the Country. He has been named Business Leader of the Year in 2016 by Kiwanis Club of Old Bridge as well as in 2017 by the Chamber of Commerce. Most recently he was recognized in 2018 with NJ Biz 40 under 40 as a young leader in business, and in 2019 by the Greater Monmouth YMCA as their Citizen of the Year. He has also been a guest speaker at NYU Schack School of Real Estate and Alan Creedy's Blue Ocean Tours. David, his family and team have been featured in Funeral Business Advisor and American Funeral Director Magazines.

He and his family attend Calvary Chapel Old Bridge and they volunteer in various ministry opportunities. A licensed funeral Director in New Jersey, he also holds funeral director and embalmers licenses in Pennsylvania and West Virginia as well as a Life Insurance Producers License. David enjoys spending time with his wife, Stacey and their three children, Sophia, David Lee III, and Abigail. He also enjoys competitive fitness, OCR, snowboarding, and golf.
Karen Lamb Manager

Karen Lamb joined our team in April 2014. She is a 2013 graduate of the Funeral Service program at Mercer County Community College and became a Licensed Funeral Director in January 2014.
Karen is an active member of Operation Yellow Ribbon of South Jersey. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her family and friends.
Michael V. Grandi Funeral Director

Michael V. Grandi began his career in funeral service in 1998. He is a 2000 graduate of the Funeral Service program at Mercer County Community College and became a Licensed Funeral Director in November of 2000. His skills as well as his care and compassion for people elevated him to a Management position with Waitt Funeral Home in August of 2001. Michael also holds a New Jersey Life Insurance License, giving his firm the opportunity to offer alternative funding options to consumers who wish to prepay their funerals. Michael is a 9 time recipient of the Pursuit of Excellence award, the highest honor received in the industry for excellence in funeral service putting his firm in the top 2 percent of funeral homes nationwide.

He is a member of the National Funeral Directors Association, the New Jersey State Funeral Directors Association which he serves as a Trustee, and the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice. His community involvement is wide spread and he is a charter member and has served 3 years as the President of the Kiwanis Club of Marlboro, 2 years as its secretary and now is the current Treasurer. Michael has remained a member of the Matawan Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce since 2001 and is currently a member of the board. He sits on the Supervisory Committee for Entertainment Industries Federal Credit Union.

Michael continues to share his experience, knowledge and insight in funeral service, with the staff and families he serves.

"The pride comes from helping each family generate their own creative ideas which leads to the meaningful funeral that represents the life well lived, for those they loved."-Michael V. Grandi
Kathleen Lombardo Accounts Payable Assistant

Kathleen Ann Lombardo, for over 15 years, was a dance educator with the nationally recognized company, American Repertory Ballet and Princeton Ballet School (ARB & PBS).

In addition to teaching for the school, she also taught for ARB’s DANCE POWER, a dance educational residency. A program partnership between New Brunswick Public Schools & Piscataway Township Schools with ARB.

In 2010 she became ARB’s DANCE POWER Coordinator and duties included supervising teachers, creating schedules and overlooking the program in it’s entirety.

Currently, she is an elective teacher for Calvary Christian High School. She teaches Strength and Training and Dance/Movement classes for the 9th-12th grades and is also a substitute teacher for CCS.

Kathleen attends Calvary Chapel of Old Bridge with her loving husband Michael and their two children, Caleb Louis and Abigail Grace. Her and her husband have served in CCOB’s Children’s Ministry as well as other ministries of CCOB.

She loves spending time with her family and her church family.

She has taken a turn in her career and has entered into the accounting world with Jersey Memorial Group and couldn’t be happier to be a part of this extraordinary team.
Daniel J Korba Licensed Funeral Director

Daniel J. Korba was raised in Old Bridge and East Brunswick Township, NJ. Upon graduating college, Dan studied for 3 more years in Catholic Seminary discerning his calling to the priesthood. After deciding to change his course of service, Dan attended the Mortuary Science Program at Mercer County Community College. He was licensed in 1992. Since then, Dan has developed superior technical skills, which combined with his zeal and compassion, is determined to lighten the burden of every family he encounters.

Dan and his wife Marilyn, and their daughter Rachel, moved to Freehold Township in 1999. Dan has served his community not only as a funeral director, but also as a volunteer firefighter for many years and is an ordained Sub-Deacon in his parish of St. Paul The Apostle Church.

Dan will hit the refresh button by his passion for landscaping, and maintaining the grounds around his Church, teeing up a golf ball, or hoping on his motorcycle and taking a long ride in the country.
Jeff Lovas Funeral Director
Morgan Lisco Registered Apprentice

Morgan, a resident of Sayreville joined our team in April of 2018. She is a registered apprentice that has a gift for assisting families in their time of need. Many families have dealt with Morgan during visitation, memorial and funeral services.

An Amateur geologist, in her spare time she studies and prospects the local area looking for valuable minerals and gemstones. One of her prized findings is a moon rock located in Cheesequake State Park in Old Bridge. The only known moon rock to be found in Old Bridge Township.