Berlin Jews Struggle Against Burial Law

The Jewish community of Berlin, Germany’s capital, is fighting against an ordinance requiring that the burial of the all city’s dead be delayed for 48 hours in case an autopsy is required. Rabbi Yehudah Teichtel, Chabad Shliach to the city, is leading the charge against the law, on the grounds that it requires Berlin’s Jews to violate Halacha.

From i24 News:

A local Berlin ordinance requires that burial of a body only take place 48 hours after death in order to allow an autopsy if needed. Jewish law, on the other hand, mandates burial of a cadaver as soon as possible and deems any delay a sacrilege.

The two sides are engaged in a struggle over their differing needs, The Jerusalem Post reported Sunday.

Local Jewish officials have met with the State of Berlin Ministry of Health to discuss the matter.

Rabbi Yehuda Tiechtel of the Berlin Chabad community said in a statement that “in the conversations we held with the Berlin Ministry of Health and with Parliament legislatures we found willingness to take our requests into account. In fact, in light of this current law, every case of death, including natural death, becomes automatically a struggle of the Jewish authorities for the release of the cadaver.”

In an email to The Jerusalem Post a spokeswoman said that the ministry was “aware of the issue brought up by Rabbi Teichtal and we are working on it.”

The New York-based Anti-Defamation League said in response: “We urge the German legislative and Health Ministry officials to adopt the limited exemption.”