Ultra-Orthodox Protests Erupt Over Controversial Tunnel Burials
Translated & summarized from Kikar HaShabbat by baba
Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jews protested controversial tunnel burials at Jerusalem's Har HaMenuchot cemetery. Protesters accuse the Chevra Kadisha of exploiting grieving families by demanding high fees for traditional burials. A recent incident involved a prolonged burial delay and a physical altercation over a tunnel interment. Leaders condemned the practices, with one rally held under heavy security.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Ultra-Orthodox protests have intensified over tunnel burials at Jerusalem's Har HaMenuchot cemetery.
- Protesters accuse the Chevra Kadisha of exploiting families unable to afford traditional burial plots.
- A recent incident involved a prolonged burial delay and a physical altercation over a tunnel interment.
- A leading rabbi condemned the practices, calling them a form of deception.
- The main protest rally in Jerusalem was held under heavy security due to threats.
Protests have intensified within the ultra-Orthodox community regarding burial practices in tunnels beneath Jerusalem's Har HaMenuchot cemetery. Hundreds of residents from Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh gathered for rallies under the banner "Tears of the Oppressed" to voice their outrage.
Speakers at the rallies condemned the alleged exploitation of families unable to afford high costs for traditional burial plots. Rabbis accused the Chevra Kadisha (burial society) of refusing field burials to those who cannot pay, forcing them to accept tunnel interments against their wishes. This practice, they claim, is a form of coercion that disregards the families' desire to bury their loved ones according to ancestral customs.
The controversy reached a boiling point on Hoshana Rabbah, when the family of a prominent Jerusalem resident faced a prolonged delay in burial. Chevra Kadisha representatives insisted on a tunnel burial, citing the family's inability to pay for a field plot. According to the family, a leading Jerusalem halachic authority advised them to resist the tunnel burial.
In response, Chevra Kadisha allegedly threatened to keep the deceased's body in refrigeration at the Shagar funeral home until after the holiday if the family did not agree to the tunnel interment. Facing this ultimatum, the family initially agreed. However, some family members later attempted to prevent the tunnel burial, leading to a physical altercation. Ultimately, the deceased was buried in the tunnel.
Rabbi David Menashe Rothchild, Deputy Chairman of the Vaad Halacha of the Eda Haredit, strongly criticized the tunnel burial practices, accusing Chevra Kadisha leaders of deception. The main protest rally in Jerusalem was held under heavy security due to threats from unknown groups aiming to disrupt the event, but it proceeded as planned with a large attendance.
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