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NEWS
100 Graves Found at Har Hazeisim Covered With Dirt by
Jordanians Planning to Build Gas Station
By Yechiel Sever
On the slopes of Har Hazeisim (Mount of Olives Cemetery),
near the gravesite of the Rashash zechuso yogein
oleinu, the greatest of Jerusalem's mekubolim, a
large burial plot held by the Bukharan and Sephardic
communities was recently uncovered. The bodies laid buried
for 200 years before the State of Israel was founded, but
during the years of Jordanian rule in East Jerusalem (1948-
67) the graves were desecrated and some were destroyed,
Rachmono litzlan.
The discovery was made following repeated requests by
grandchildren, great-grandchildren and other family members
searching for the graves of their forefathers who, according
to family tradition, had been buried with great honor in a
plot at Har Hazeisim. Though many requests were brought to
the Mount of Olives Information Center and searches were
repeatedly made, the graves were never found.
Following an inquiry it was found that the Jordanian
authorities took extreme liberties at the cemetery and at one
point tried to build a gas station on top of a burial plot.
They disregarded kovod hameis, razing 50 graves.
Another 50 were left intact, but were covered with dirt to
level the ground.
For the past 40 years since Har Hazeisim was restored to
Jewish control, the State did nothing to uncover the graves
and rectify the disgraceful act of desecration perpetrated by
the Jordanians, but the Sephardic chevra kadisha, with
the help of donations by members of the Bukharan community,
began revealing the graves after consulting with rabbonim on
halachic matters related to their holy task.
Most of the work was done manually and great pains were taken
to avoid damaging the gravestones, which remain fully intact,
and to maintain kovod hameis.
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