Cremation
Was Dead Man Too Jewish To Be Cremated?
When Martin Mendelsohn died, his brother’s decision to have him cremated sparked an unlikely legal fight. The court battle focused on odd facts about the dead man’s spiritual life, like his very un-kosher taste for shrimp at Red Lobster.
Transgender Activist May Peleg Wins Fight for Cremation — After Her Own Suicide
May Peleg felt so strongly about being cremated that she wrote it into her will. But after the transgender activist committed suicide, her ultra-Orthodox parents objected — and the wrenching dispute has gone all the way to Israel’s highest court.
Court Rules Israeli Transgender Activist's Body Will Be Cremated
The body of an Israeli transgender activist will be cremated as she requested in her will, despite objections by her haredi Orthodox mother.
Mother of Transgender Activist Who Killed Self Challenges Cremation Plan
The haredi Orthodox mother of an Israeli transgender woman who killed herself is battling the woman’s lawyer over plans to cremate the body.
Orthodox Amputee Sues Chicago Hospital for Cremating Leg
An Orthodox Jewish man is suing a Chicago-area hospital for cremating his amputated leg instead of preserving it for burial as he requested.
The American Jewish Way of Death
Jewish burial has experienced fads throughout history, from a simple pine box to embalmment and back again. The pendulum is still swinging today.
Burials Go Green as More Choose To Take Eco-Friendly Credo to Grave
After a two-year battle with cancer, Joseph Fitzgerald was determined to leave his final resting place to Mother Nature.
More Jews Opt for Cremation
Jews are increasingly choosing to be cremated, defying religious law and thousands of years of tradition that mandate burial.
Confronting Cremation
We need a Jewish conversation that speaks to the realities of both cremation and burial. It involves facing death and what it means for our lives, writes Regina Sandler-Phillips.