The Meeting
This demand is in light of the serious lack of burial sites for Jerusalem residents. In an emergency meeting which took place at the Degel HaTorah headquarters in Jerusalem, called for by the rabbinical committee of the movement and with the participation of representatives of HaRav Edelstein:, HaRav Palay, HaRav Moshe Gura and other members of the party in the Jerusalem municipality, it was agreed to ask Mayor Moshe Leon to do all in his power in dealing with the pertinent authorities to find a permanent solution in apportioning lands for a conventional burial, known in Hebrew as kevurat sadeh, literally "field burial," so that every citizen could avail himself of what has always been the practice and tradition for Jewry throughout the ages.
The gathering was the result of a call from the Rosh Yeshiva HaRav Edelstein to all public representatives of the chareidi sector throughout the country to work for this vital cause, as was stated in the special letter in which he appealed to "all public representatives from every place in the Holy Land". He wrote: "Since in recent years, there is no possibility of halachically proper field burial in many places, and even in Yerushalayim, the authorities do not allow everyone the option of halachic burial. The opinion of gedolei Yisroel has already been voiced on the subject that no change be made in the traditional and long-standing manner of burial.
"I hereby request that you work in every way possible to have land allocated so that burial of Jews from every location be made possible according to Halacha as proper for the honor of the deceased. May we merit that the value of this vital mitzvah stand us and all of Klal Yisrael in good stead that we be privileged to experience the complete Geula speedily and may all those interred awaken and exult."
The Letter of Maran the Rosh Yeshiva
