More than 100 religious zealots demonstrated near the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament, against post mortem autopsies which they claim are contrary to Jewish law. The group carried placards reading “Please do not dissect us” and “We want to be buried whole.”
Meanwhile the rabbinical court of Israel’s Assembly of Ashkenazi Congregations today ordered all burial societies to refuse to accept bodies for burial if a post mortem has been performed, unless an authorization signed by a qualified rabbi is provided. Leaders of the ultra Orthodox Agudat Israel and Neturei Karta have also declared their intention of campaigning for the cessation of all autopsies whatever their reason.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
