Burial Plot
Question
Dear Rabbi,
I am in the process of shopping for a burial plot at a cemetery in my area. A cemetery that I’m looking at, from what I was told, has Jewish sections and non-Jewish sections of the cemetery. Is there any prohibitions regarding a Jew being buried in a cemetery that also has non-Jewish sections? Doesn’t the Mount of Olives behind the Temple have non-Jewish sections?
Answers
Firstly, please accept my blessing that you do not need to use your plot for many, many more years to come.
It is preferable to have a completely separate cemetery designated as the Jewish cemetery and only has Jews buried there. If that is not feasible (for example, very often the cost of land is exorbitant), there should be a clear demarcation between the Jewish section of the cemetery and the non-Jewish section. That is normally done by the Chevra Kaddisha organization by leaving an area all around the Jewish part as unused.
Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team