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Death is the great leveller
Jun. 9th, 2009 09:19 amIn Israel, burial rights for the deceased (when they're Jewish) are free of charge - the Hevrah Kadisha live on charitable donations and do everything to enable to a real Jewish funeral.
Plus, like almost every other Jewish-Religious institution in this country, it is under the jurisdiction of the government.
Obviously, not everyone wants a Jewish funeral and of course, not every Jewish person can be buried in a consecrated cemetery, for various reasons.
There are a few alternatives, most of them very expensive; to be buried in a secular or non-religious ceremony and cemetery one would have had to pay 24,000 NIS (just over 6000$), this is over in the Kibbutzim of course.
Well, I'm happy to say that my Home Town has opened up an Alternative Civil Cemetery, which like other religious cemeteries is free to the residents of town and is selling plots to those who live outside the municipality for half the price stated above.
The cemetery is operated by Menucha Nechona - Resting Right/Right Rest.
I know it sounds a tad strange to be excited about choosing how one's death is to be commemorated, but friends, I'm really happy there's an option, close to home, in which my family can chose to be traditional on our own terms and not succumb to the Orthodoxy on matters of death.
The dead, of course, don't care how or where or whatever, but for those living and arranging the funeral, it's great that there is acknowledgment that not only do people want to do things that aren't precisely Orthodox... but that there are people of other faiths who would want to bury their loved ones without succumbing to that Orthodoxy.
Now if only we could separate religion from marriage the same way.
Plus, like almost every other Jewish-Religious institution in this country, it is under the jurisdiction of the government.
Obviously, not everyone wants a Jewish funeral and of course, not every Jewish person can be buried in a consecrated cemetery, for various reasons.
There are a few alternatives, most of them very expensive; to be buried in a secular or non-religious ceremony and cemetery one would have had to pay 24,000 NIS (just over 6000$), this is over in the Kibbutzim of course.
Well, I'm happy to say that my Home Town has opened up an Alternative Civil Cemetery, which like other religious cemeteries is free to the residents of town and is selling plots to those who live outside the municipality for half the price stated above.
The cemetery is operated by Menucha Nechona - Resting Right/Right Rest.
I know it sounds a tad strange to be excited about choosing how one's death is to be commemorated, but friends, I'm really happy there's an option, close to home, in which my family can chose to be traditional on our own terms and not succumb to the Orthodoxy on matters of death.
The dead, of course, don't care how or where or whatever, but for those living and arranging the funeral, it's great that there is acknowledgment that not only do people want to do things that aren't precisely Orthodox... but that there are people of other faiths who would want to bury their loved ones without succumbing to that Orthodoxy.
Now if only we could separate religion from marriage the same way.
