The first Jewish victim of the coronavirus in Argentina was cremated by government authorities despite protests from the Jewish community near Buenos Aires, JTA reported.
Ruben Bercovich, 59, the owner of the BercoMat construction materials company and active in the Jewish community of Chaco, passed away on Thursday in Resistencia, the capital of the northern Chaco province after returning from a trip to the United States on March 9.
Following Bercovich’s death, government officials insisted on cremating him, claiming it was the best way to avoid spreading the virus.
Argentine rabbanim have initiated discussions with government officials to reach a compromise regarding an exemption for Jewish victims in order to enable them to fulfill religious law. Rabbanim in England, working in cooperation with Muslim religious leaders, were successful in obtaining a religious exemption regarding a similar law in England
The Argentine government has placed the country in full lockdown until March 31. There are currently 690 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the country and 17 fatalities.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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6 Responses
Nebech! It’s in sync with their open arm policy, even embracing, of the Nazi cremation experts! So sad! Zoll der Aibishter Upheettin.
i am not a posek; but in times like this listening to ALL government edicts may be required halakhically. when people get to pick and choose, people are likely to die
What’s the question its PIKUACH NEFESH! They should this Israel
too.
The gemara in Sanhedrin says plainly: 47a:
It is a good omen for a deceased when retribution is taken after death… for example an animal drags the body.
I never knew this man but it is obvious that he is on a higher madrega than the average man. This burning of his corpse shows he was an extraordinary person and who’s part is only in gan eden. Yehi zichro baruch.
DrYidd thank G-d you’re not a posek. How can any believing Jew even consider such a horrible idea. Obeying the government does not save lives! It destroys lives. If the government makes such an edict, and one is able to defy it one MUST do so. And that they should do it in Israel?! What kind of insane crazy GOYISH idea is that? How could it possibly save any lives? If it was YOU lying there would you agree to be burned ch”v?!
He wasnt jewish he only had a jewish last name please search before you writte the news.
Right now the 80% of the people who are part of the chaco’s jewish community they are not jewish.
There are just a few families that are 100% jewish
The reform way destroyed the huge community
There are two shuls in resistencia the sfardi shull that they use only for wedding. And the ameguino shul that the are a few people that are real jews
This happens in argentina where the reformist made a huge disaster