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Court Permits Wife To Move Husband From Jewish Cemetery

By Howard M. Friedman

In Matter of Eirand-Herskowitz v. Mt. Carmel Cemetery Association, (Queens Co. NY Sup Ct., April 23, 2010), a New York trial court granted a petition filed by a wife to disinter her deceased husband who was buried in a Jewish cemetery to permit her to bury him elsewhere so she could be buried beside him. Jamie Herskowitz, who was Jewish, died after nearly 20 years of marriage to Debra Eirand-Herskowitz, who was not Jewish. Non-Jews are not permitted to be buried in a Jewish cemetery. The original burial in 2007 was arranged by Jamie's mother and sister when Debra was too overwrought to make the plans. The court said:

Both respondents, mother and sister, testified to the fact that the decedent followed many Jewish traditions, and that his Jewish faith was an important part of his daily life. Although it is not the function of this court to sit in judgment of anyone's choice in the manner in which he/she chooses to practice or observe his/her faith, the court finds that these occasional, isolated acts of religious observance do not unequivocally constitute and support the fact that Jamie actively practiced his Jewish faith. Moreover, the court finds that whatever the nature of decedent's bond of religion, it was insufficient to overcome his paramount wish that his wife and he be together in death as they were in life.... Additionally, as the proposed final resting place for his remains, St. Elizabeth Cemetery is nondenominational, there is no evidence to show that his burial there will offend his Jewish faith.... There was no evidence presented by respondents to show decedent's paramount concern was that his remains be laid to rest in a Jewish cemetery.

[Thanks to Joseph Landau for the lead.]

Full post as published by Religion Clause on May 01, 2010 (boomark / email).