After 9 years of efforts on the part of the Rabbi of the city of Berlin, Rabbi Yehuda Teichtel, today the Berlin government approved the Jewish Burial Law – which will allow Jews to be buried immediately after 24 hours, without waiting 48 hours, which delays the burial contrary to Halacha • Rabbi Teichtel: “This is a step extremely important for the promotion of Jewish life in Berlin”
Big news in Berlin: The ‘Jewish burial law’ was approved today (Tuesday) by the government, after strenuous activity on the part of the city’s rabbi, Rabbi Yehuda Teichtel.
It all began with a meeting that Rabbi Teichtel held exactly nine years ago with Berlin’s Minister of Health, Mario Chaja – to discuss the promotion of a new law in Berlin, which would allow Jews to be buried immediately after 24 hours.
Today, the law in Berlin allows a body to be buried only after 48 hours.
This law was enacted 150 years ago, in accordance with the conditions of those days, which sought to prove death. Since then, medicine has progressed and today there is no professional motive that would support the promotion of the new law.
Since that meeting, Rabbi Teichtel met with a number of senior officials in the Berlin legislature to promote the move.
Today, after nine years of activity, the Berlin government approved the law, and it will now go to the parliament for final approval.
“This is a big and extremely important step for the promotion of Jewish life in Berlin,” commented Rabbi Teichtel, upon the approval of the law. “This allows communities to live according to Jewish law in Berlin. We especially thank the Commissioner for Anti-Semitism Prof. Salzborn in Berlin as well as the two important ministers, the Minister of Justice Prof. Dr. Lena Kerk and the Minister of Health Ulrike Gutta.
Print an article