According to a NRG News reports on Sunday 20 Sivan, the CEO of the ‘עלי שלכת’ (Aley Shalechet) company announced plans to open another branch in Ra’anana, adding “It is important that we have a branch in Jerusalem too”.

Jerusalem Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi Aryeh Stern Shlita announced if the report is accurate, he will do his utmost to prevent this since it is contrary to halacha.

According to the company website, it offers Jewish and non-Jewish funeral services as well as memorial rites, memorial services and the handling of all bureaucratic and administrative issues and many more related services.

The company is gaining in popularity as it offers cremation R”L as one of its alternatives to a Jewish funeral. Zaka over recent years has been working to prevent this trend from gaining popularity in Israel but it appears the company is growing despite Zaka’s efforts.

The company’s website actually quotes Gemara in an effort to confuse readers into believing that cremation is not necessarily prohibited as rabbis today lead one to believe.

The company has been in operation for a number of years and in 2007, it was targeted by arsonists as YWN-ISRAEL reported.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)