“And I am nothing but dust and ashes…”
The “Aley Shalechet” company began its operation in the field of cremations in the year 2004, with an in-depth study of the significance and the trend of cremation services in the world, the legal aspects of it in the State of Israel, the implications of it on the issues of environment quality and more. After an in-depth analysis of the results of our studies, we have decided to go forward with the establishment of the first Hebrew crematorium in the State of Israel, this being part of our worldview as leaders in the field of a person’s last journey in Israel, in all its meanings.
Over the past decade we have witnessed an increasing demand for cremation services among thousands of people who chose this process, and hundreds more who have already commissioned cremation services while still living.
The cremation process is carried out in a designated facility housing advanced technology specially imported from the United States to Israel. The facility is environmentally friendly. There are many choices to make when it comes to handling the ashes, and each person and family may choose between burying the ashes, scattering it, keeping it and more.
Every person has their own reasons for choosing their personal last journey, but the most common reasons for choosing cremation are: personal/spiritual philosophy, simplicity and convenience, economic saving, religious pluralism, globalization (it is easy to move ashes from country to country with great ease), ecologic ideology and of course land shortage.
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According to the British historian Paul Johnson, who wrote “The History of the 20th Century” – three famous people from the 19th century have impacted the 20th century the most. These three people, by chance or not, are all Jewish: Sigmund Freud, Albert Einstein, and Karl Marx. Two of the three elected to be cremated.
Other famous Jewish people have chosen to take the cremation route – J. Robert Oppenheimer, Arthur Rubinstein, Harpo Marx, Ethel Merman, Adi Talmor, Amy Winehouse, Romain Gary, Peter Sellers, Paul Newman, Gary Bilu, Elisha Shpieglman, Rona Ramon and many others.
Many other famous people, who are not Jewish, have also elected this way such as John Kennedy, John Lennon, Maria Callas, George Bernard Shaw, Rudyard Kipling, George Harrison, Alexander Fleming, David Bowie, Humphrey Bogart, Karl Lagerfeld, Freddie Mercury and many other good people.
Aley Shalechet began its activities as aforementioned in the year 2004.
Its activities, which began with an in-depth study of the significance and the trend of cremation services in the world, the legal aspects of it in the State of Israel, the implications of it on the issues of environment quality and more, and continued with an in-depth analysis of the results of our studies, and a decision to go forward with the establishment of the first Hebrew crematorium in the State of Israel, this being part of our worldview as leaders in the field of a person’s last journey in Israel, in all its meanings.
What is cremation?
Cremation is a one and a half to two hours process, in which the corps is inserted into a special oven where it is cremated using high heat. The end result is ashes, which are transferred into a temporary storage vessel. The temporary vessel with the ashes is then placed in the family’s care who decides what to do with it.
Cremation in History
It is difficult to find accurate evidence as to when cremation first started being used by man. Most studies indicate the Stone Age as a period in which there is already evidence of cremation, with the main evidence coming from the Mediterranean Basin. The custom began spreading throughout Europe in the Bronze Age. For more information – click here.
Cremation – Trends in the modern world
In more advanced countries, and especially in countries suffering from land shortage, laws were introduced which encourage the choice of cremation as a preferred option. The 2008 data point out to the fact that the percentage of people choosing cremation in Japan reaches 100 percent, Hong Kong 87 percent, Switzerland 82 percent, Czech Republic 81 percent, and England 72 percent. For more information and statistical Data – click here.
The reasons why a person chooses cremation
Over the past few decades, the use of cremation throughout the western world has increased for several reasons: personal/spiritual philosophy, simplicity and convenience, religious pluralism, large population movement. For more information – click here
. A recent survey shows that there is a real and significant demand for cremation services in the State of Israel. Arising from this survey it appears that about 30% of people asked have expressed their desire to choose cremation over burial. It should be noted that the survey does not represent the entire population in the country, yet unequivocally indicates the need for this service.
Famous people who elected to be cremated
Since the beginning, leaders and trend setters elected to part from this world by cremating their bodies (incineration). King Saul of Israel and his sons were brought to Yavesh Gilad where they were cremated, while other kings who were punished by God, such as King Yehoram, were not cremated. In the modern age, among the famous Jews who chose this path we can find Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud, Harpo Marx, Robert Oppenheimer, Romain Gary (Émile Ajar), Ethel Merman, Peter Sellers, Amy Winehouse.
For more information click here.
Cremation – Myths versus reality
There are quite a number of myths relating the issue of cremations, some of which we wish to refute here:
Cremation is permitted in Israel
Cremation is not forbidden in Judaism
A cremation furnace does not cause air pollution
For more information click here.
Cremation and Judaism
Judaism does not go against cremation, and according to one of the presidents of the Rabbinical Court, it was even a popular practice during the time of kings. Overseas, the choice of cremation is popular and accepted (even among Jews), and over the years the number of those choosing this matter of farewell increases. For more information – click here.
For an additional article on this subject – click here
Cremation – Quotes
Samuel 1 – 31:12:
“All their stalwart men set out and marched all night; they removed the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth-Shean and came to Yavesh and burned them there.”
Maimonides, in Mishne Torah, The Taharah Book, ‘Laws of Tumah and Taharah’ Chapter 3 he wrote: “The dead who was burned, and his skeleton still exists, and of which the spine and the ribs are still intact – indeed it is impure just as a whole dead man, and there is no need to say if he was placed in shrouds; but if he was burned until the shape of him is confused, he is pure… For more information – click here.
הקטלוג המקיף והמלא של עלי שלכת עם כל התשובות לשאלות שלכם בכל מה שקשור לקבורה האזרחית בישראל
