Not only is cremation controversial in Judaism, it pollutes the earth
Cremation may have a lower consumer cost, but it extracts a steep ecological price
cremation
The Latest
-
Letters -
News More and more Jews are choosing cremation. These rabbis aren’t happy about it.
According to one rabbi’s estimate, about half of American Jews are choosing cremation
-
News Was Dead Man Too Jewish To Be Cremated?
When Martin Mendelsohn died in September, his brother’s plans to have the remains cremated ran into some surprising opposition: The Hasidic owner of the dead man’s retirement home sued to have the body buried instead. Philip Schonberger, who runs the Evergreen Court Home for Adults, in Spring Valley, New York, thought Mendelsohn’s brother, Steven, was…
-
News Transgender Activist May Peleg Wins Fight for Cremation — After Her Own Suicide
In March 2014, May Peleg paid for her own cremation at Aley Shalechet, the only funeral home in Israel that offers this service, considered taboo in Jewish tradition. Peleg should have been cremated soon after she committed suicide. The prominent 31-year-old transgender activist had made her wishes clear in her will, her lawyer said, where…
-
Breaking News 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. The Jerusalem District Court ruled Wednesday that the body of May Peleg will be cremated, the Hebrew-language news website Walla! reported. Peleg, 31, committed suicide, according to a statement released from the…
-
Breaking News Mother of Transgender Activist Who Killed Self Challenges Cremation Plan
The ultra-Orthodox mother of an Israeli transgender woman who killed herself is battling the woman’s lawyer over plans to cremate the body. May Peleg, 31, an activist in Israel’s LGBT community, filed a will with attorney Yossi Wolfson the day before her suicide stating her desire to be cremated, Haaretz reported Tuesday. The Israeli newspaper…
-
Breaking News 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. Moshe Lefkowitz, 43, had surgery to remove his left leg below the knee in March 2011. He said in a lawsuit filed in court in Cook County that he made his wishes…
-
Opinion The American Jewish Way of Death
In August 1963, “The American Way of Death” by Jessica Mitford sold out its first printing on its publication date and topped The New York Times best-seller list for weeks. Inspired by her husband, Robert Treuhaft, a radical Jewish labor lawyer who was an unnamed co-author of the book, Mitford brought a sparkling British wit…
Explore
Most Popular
- 1
Fast Forward Zelenskyy joins Canadian Parliament’s ovation to 98-year-old veteran who fought with Nazis
- 2
Opinion Why do Trump and Netanyahu hate liberal Jews and cozy up to antisemites?
- 3
Music How Jewish is Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah?’
- 4
Opinion For Lauren Boebert and her appalling ‘Beetlejuice’ antics, the season of repentance is at hand
In Case You Missed It
-
Fast Forward Trudeau apologizes for ovation to 98-year-old Ukrainian who fought with the Nazis
-
Culture A Golem grows in Brooklyn — but do Jews need it?
-
Fast Forward Vilnius is celebrating its 700th anniversary. Lithuanian Jews are commemorating a darker one.
-
Fast Forward Meeting between Jewish leaders and Benjamin Netanyahu broaches judicial overhaul — and gets personal
Engage
-
Catch Up on Yiddish Events
-
It's trivia time!
-
Shop the Forward Store
100% of profits support our journalism
