Body of Murder Suspect Released for Burial After 8-Week Delay
Translated & summarized from Kikar HaShabbat by baba
The body of Rabbi Yitzchak Elmakies, a father of seven, was released for burial in Uman, Ukraine, after an eight-week delay. He was found dead during Rosh Hashanah with signs of severe trauma, leading to a murder investigation by Ukrainian authorities. Efforts by Rabbi Yaakov Gian and a rabbinical ruling facilitated the release. Elmakies's family and the Breslov community can now proceed with his burial.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- The body of Rabbi Yitzchak Elmakies was released for burial in Uman after an eight-week delay.
- Elmakies was found dead during Rosh Hashanah with signs of severe trauma, sparking a murder investigation.
- Ukrainian authorities held the body for eight weeks during ongoing investigations and legal proceedings.
- Rabbi Yaakov Gian's intervention and a rabbinical ruling helped facilitate the body's release.
- Elmakies was a London-based Breslov Hasid and father of seven children under 18.
The body of Rabbi Yitzchak Elmakies, a London-based Breslov Hasid and father of seven, has finally been released for burial in Uman, Ukraine, after an eight-week delay. Elmakies was found dead during Rosh Hashanah services in Uman under circumstances that strongly suggested murder. His body was held by Ukrainian authorities as they investigated his death and navigated legal proceedings.
The release was facilitated by the efforts of Rabbi Yaakov Gian, the chief rabbi of Uman, who engaged with relevant officials to resolve the situation. The funeral's timing is expected to be announced shortly, with the procession originating from the tomb of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov in Uman.
Elmakies had gone for solitary contemplation in a forest near Uman on Rosh Hashanah eve. The following morning, local police were seen with a photograph of his bruised and bleeding face as they attempted to identify him. Emergency services were called to the scene, and he was identified by acquaintances from Britain. Signs of severe trauma were found on his body, fueling suspicions of murder over a medical incident.
During the eight weeks, a significant halachic and public debate ensued regarding the burial. A rabbinical assembly in Bnei Brak, attended by the Rabbi and Rabbi Chaim Yosef David Weiss, discussed the case. It was revealed that some activists had misused Rabbi Weiss's name to delay the burial, misrepresenting an original letter permitting a short delay for investigation. Rabbi Weiss expressed shock at the misuse of his name and issued a clear directive against further delaying the burial. The rabbis issued a ruling that he should be buried immediately in Uman.
Ukrainian authorities, including the Cherkasy and Kyiv police, repeatedly postponed the release of the body for further investigations and autopsies. Ukrainian law allows police to hold a body for up to 30 months before officially filing charges. Elmakies was divorced, had no living parents, and all seven of his children were under 18 at the time of his death. ZAKA activist Nachman Dickstein consulted Rabbi Weiss on the complex halachic questions, who ruled that a temporary delay for a criminal investigation and the apprehension of a murderer was permissible. Now, after a painful eight-week wait, Elmakies's family and the Breslov community can proceed with his burial.
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