Civil burial in Israel, which is sometimes also called alternative burial, is a burial that is not carried out by religious burial bodies, which operate according to Halacha (as is done in most cemeteries in Israel), but is carried out according to the worldview and faith of the deceased and his family members.
Since it is the worldview that determines the nature of the burial, a civil burial is not necessarily a secular burial, and it can include elements from the orthodox, conservative, secular burial and any other combination.
Burial in Israel is conducted by religious bodies that have been authorized by one of the religious authorities in Israel.
In some kibbutzim, secular burials are performed, but burial in them for non-residents is not possible. In the past there were some kibbutzim that sold burial plots, but today this possibility does not exist and it is illegal to do so.
In 1995, a committee of ministers made a historic decision: to approve in principle the establishment of civilian cemeteries in Israel.
In 1996, the Right to an Alternative Civil Burial Law was enacted, which allows Israeli citizens to choose whether they want a civil ceremony by private funeral corporations, such as the “Right Rest” association, which was established with the goal of allowing every person in Israel to be buried in a ceremony and in a manner that matches their worldview, faith and desire.
The situation today is not ideal, there are less than 10 civil cemeteries that are managed by entities that are not Kadisha companies – among them you can find:
For proper rest – Rishon LeZion
Honorable rest – Givat Brenner
Proper rest – Beer Sheva
Proper rest – Kfar Saba
World offerings – Netanya
There are cemeteries managed by the religious council that allow civil burials – for example in Herzliya and Modi’in, but the degree of freedom allowed for burial in these places should always be checked.
Civil burial cost
Who pays for a civil burial?
The National Insurance Institute will pay the burial expenses and related services for anyone who dies and is buried in Israel or an Israeli resident (as defined by the National Insurance Institute) who dies abroad. Payments for the burial services will be transferred directly from the National Insurance Institute to the burial companies. The burial companies must provide without additional payment: Allocating a plot for burial, handling the deceased and moving him to the burial place. An additional fee will be charged from those who want to be buried in grave plots that have been defined as exceptional or special or in the case of keeping places alive.
In practice, there are considerable costs for a civil burial, including the cost of a plot, the cost of a coffin, the cost of a tombstone, the cost of managing the farewell ceremony.
