A "high rise" cemetery
Per the directive of Torah leaders, for the past few months Yated Ne'eman has been waging a resolute battle against the trend for layered, above-ground burial, as well as against new and severe initiatives of gathering bones for burial. In the wake of a series of exposes, a widespread arousal has taken place among the Torah-observant public and even in the midst of the general public, to avoid and prevent burial in such unacceptable forms. Indeed, many questions have been brought before local rabbonim throughout the country regarding proper reburial of those already interred in the objectionable manners.
Several years ago, HaRav Aharon Leib Shteinman zt"l, together with ylct"a HaRav Chaim Kanievsky and HaRav Gershon Eidelstein, signed a special letter to chareidi activists which stated:
"We have been commanded in the Torah all of the laws pertinent to the burial of the dead. The Shulchan Oruch (Yoreh Dei'ah 362) has also ruled that burial should take place in the ground itself, as is written, `And to the earth shall you return.' It is very objectionable that this form of burial be changed, as is being practiced today by burial in tiered vaults etc. We hereby declare that no changes should be made in the traditional manner of burial established in long standing tradition by past Torah leadership. Whoever makes changes yado al hatachtona and is flouting the Halochoh. Whoever has the power to act and impact against such changes should do so to enable burial in every place according to Torah law as befits respect for the dead."
In light of clear-cut Halachic rulings formulated by Torah leaders past and present, it is imperative to continue the battle of this vital matter with full force so that whoever insists on ground interment according to Jewish tradition be enabled to do so. The battle should include pressure on activists, Knesset members, municipal officials everywhere and all people involved in public welfare issues to make possible proper burial to whoever seeks to abide by the Halochoh, shunning concrete or Styrofoam caskets. If there is no place within the city, cemeteries should be made available outside them, even at a distance. The main thing is that ground burial according to the halochoh be made possible to everyone.
It is not clear who is behind all these changes in burial practices. The only one that seems to have a clear vested interest is the construction industry.
