The Movement for Reform Judaism

Or maybe it is just best to steer away from clichés and talk about the things that need to be talked about. So that is what I will do. And I will attempt to do it with the minimum use of inverted commas…

I want to talk about cemeteries and funerals. And I firmly believe that it is best to start thinking about such things long before they are actually needed, so that families can plan for the future in a calm way, and let their wishes be known to those who need to know them. 

Everybody knows (I hope!) that Sinai Synagogue offers people the option of burial or cremation. While I, like everybody else, have my own thoughts and preferences about this, I am totally at ease with whichever choice people make, and am more than happy to discuss all questions or concerns that people may have about such decisions.

What many people may be less aware of is that there are also choices and options available regarding burial. Because of this lack of awareness, it seems reasonable to engage in a bit of consciousness -raising which may help some people with their decision making. 

A little while ago, Sinai Synagogue established a section of the cemetery for the use of households where only one of the partners is Jewish, yet in which both can be buried together if that is their wish. 

There are a number of provisos and conditions which go along with this option, most of which are too intricate to discuss here at any length, but which I am more than happy to discuss with anybody who is interested. But essentially this would be available to non-Jewish partners who have aided their Jewish partner in living a Jewish life, and who have no other professed religious attachment themselves.

The key element in this, however, is that all burials in this section of the cemetery are required to be at double depth, rather than side by side. Therefore only one plot is used per couple. What people may not realize, however, is that this option of double depth burial is available throughout Harehills Cemetery, including our usual, traditional section. 

There are some distinct advantages to the consideration of this possibility, both practical and ideological. Ideologically, there is no doubt that in a world which is finding it ever harder and harder to set aside land for cemetery use, this is a much more efficient form of land utilization, and extends the life of a cemetery considerably. And there is nothing “un-Jewish” about it. While it is historically rarer amongst the Ashkenazim, the Sephardim have been at ease with the practice for a very long time.

Financially, it is considerably cheaper for the family because there is only the need to pay for 1 plot. There is, of course, a fee for the reopening of the grave for the second burial, but this is much cheaper than the cost of the purchase of a second whole plot. 

My own view is that I would encourage all future burials in our cemetery to be conducted in this way, however I cannot (nor would I want to) enforce such a policy. But I do want you to know about this issue and start thinking about it and planning for it as soon as possible.

Once more, allow me to reiterate my eagerness to discuss these matters with anybody who wishes to discuss them. Just let me know, and we can sit down and chat about any aspects of the questions that you may wish. I look forward to hearing from you.
 
Rabbi Ian D. Morris.

This article was first published in the Winter 2007 edition of the Sinai Synagogue Chronicle.

Please click here to find out more about Rabbi Morris and the Sinai community. 

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