Israeli Court Orders Compensation for Soviet Immigrants Buried Separately in Petah Tikva Cemeteries

The Israeli Supreme Court has ruled that Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union who were buried in separate sections at Petah Tikva cemeteries between 2009 and 2017 are entitled to compensation. The ruling follows a decade-long legal battle against the Chevra Kadisha burial society in Petah Tikva, which had designated distinct burial plots for Soviet immigrants at the Segula and Yarkon cemeteries. Families affected by this policy can now claim compensation of at least 2,300 shekels per family.

The case began in 2016 when a class-action lawsuit was filed by Erik Avrokin and Niki Zintchenko, descendants of Soviet immigrants buried separately. They argued that the burial policy constituted discrimination based on origin, causing harm to the deceased and their families. Chevra Kadisha defended its actions by citing a custom of engraving photos on tombstones, which it claimed justified separate burial sections. However, the Central District Court ruled in 2022 that the policy was discriminatory and ordered Chevra Kadisha to pay 4.3 million shekels in damages.

The court criticized Chevra Kadisha for acting on a "patronizing assumption" about Soviet immigrants' burial customs without informing families beforehand, creating feelings of exclusion and questioning the Jewish status of the deceased. Although the burial society changed its policy after the lawsuit was filed, the legal process continued. In May 2026, the Supreme Court reduced the total compensation to 3.6 million shekels following a settlement that based payments on the number of graves rather than family members.

Eligible claimants must prove that the deceased or their parents or grandparents immigrated from a former Soviet state and were buried in specified sections of the Segula or Yarkon cemeteries between November 17, 2009, and May 31, 2017. Claims can be submitted until December 4, 2026. Legal representatives from the law firm Gil Ron, Keinan & Co. and Tel Aviv University's class action clinic emphasized the importance of compensating families for the harm caused by the separate burial policy.

For assistance or to submit claims, families can contact the designated coordinator Marina Kigel by phone or email. The ruling marks a significant acknowledgment of discrimination against Soviet immigrants in Israel's burial practices and provides a path for redress.