The forum representing chevra kadishas this week sent an official letter to Minister of the Homefront Matan Vilnai, addressing burial of victims of a mass casualty event chas v’sholom. The letter represents 12 different chevra kadishas, addressing logistical realities of having many victims as well as the Halachic issues involved in such a situation. The chevra forum points out the homefront plan for mass burial is plagued with Halachic issues that must be addressed and resolved.

The chevra forum is confident that the key is advanced planning to avoid issues that can be ironed out now.

The main problem surrounds the Homefront Command’s plan to bury victims in temporary kevarim and to exhume them at a later date for identification and proper kvura. The forum feels this is unacceptable and maintains there is sufficient time to bury people properly l’chatchila and any notion of a temporary burial without positive identification is non-starter. Ze’ev Rosenberg, who heads the forum, tells Vilnai there is no need for his temporary measure, assuring officials that with the proper advanced preparations for such an eventuality chas v’sholom, proper burial can be accomplished first time around and eliminate and avoid many Halachic issues. He points out the current plan will add immeasurable grief to bereaved families as well.

The forum calls for designating central areas to drop bodies for processing and identification. Chevra kadishas will supervise these locations to ensure adherence to Halacha. In addition, there will be a need to prepare many kevarim in advance of such an emergency situation.

One of the problems in obtaining Homefront approval is the fact that Vilnai was appointed as Israel’s next ambassador to China back in February 2012. For different reasons that are not related to this issue, his moving to China to begin his new post has been delayed but it is clear that his replacement will address these major issues.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)