The disinterment and removal of the remains of heir less Jews buried in Paris’ municipal cemeteries has caused extreme anxiety among religious groups here. The move, in accordance with a French law of 1924, has been vigorously opposed by the Chevra Kedisha, the Jewish burial society.
The local authorities have ruled that all graves 75 years old or older are considered abandoned unless they are cared for by heirs or by heirs or by specially authorized parties. A strict interpretation of the law has barred the Chevra Kedisha from acting in behalf of families whose heirs were murdered by the Nazis and thus are heirless. It is feared that as a result of this situation–the absence of heirs legal representatives–most of the Jewish graves in question will be opened and the land on which they are now located will revert to local authority under the terms of the law.
The disinterred remains are removed to a special section of the Pere Lachaise cemetery in this city, and the sites of the graves are taken over by the municipal authorities.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
