Death is the great leveller

[eumelia]

In 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.

Comments

[lishablog.livejournal.com]

"Um... Death. No! Wait I mean Cake!!"
"Ha-ha! You said Death first!"
:)

And this is fantastic news. It is an important thing, because the living are often put through hell in the process of trying to bury their family members.

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

I loves me some Eddie!

When I read it I was like "OMG, we have another option!" and then I spat three times, spun around and Hamsa'd five times.
Like all good Jewish girls do when talking about Dead things.

[schemingreader.livejournal.com]

Not to mention. that there are people who would be willing to be buried Orthodox if the rabbinate hadn't just declared them not Jewish.

In the diaspora an Orthodox burial is very fine and nice, but how many people who die in Israel are going to be eligible for one? How to you present your parents' marriage documents when you're dead?

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

*nods* yes, very much so.

I hadn't actually thought of that aspect (Jewish-by-birth privilege, like whoa!), but yes, there are quite a few people like that in Israel.

[quicksilvermad.livejournal.com]

We're all out of cake!

Wow, that's great! Finally, something a bit easier for the people left behind when a loved one dies.

Personally, living in the US, I don't understand all the strange extras some people want when they die. Just burn my corpse and put it in an urn until you can dump it in the Pacific or stick in a plain pine box, because I honestly won't care if the coffin is super-excellent and lined with silk. I'll be dead. And I think it's kinda morbid to put the dead on display for an audience. I think we get too many options in the States. You should see some of the coffins people buy for themselves before they're even close to dying. It's so strange.

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

The whole over-abundance and surplus thing really infiltrates all aspects of American life, huh.

[quicksilvermad.livejournal.com]

It really, truly, does. Someone has one cracktastic idea and... *POOF* Something really weird is born. Like clothing for small dogs or personalized coffins.