Strassburg Kehillah Denies It Refused to Permit Burial of Polish-jewish Student

The Strassburg Jewish community today denied reports published abroad that it had refused to permit the burial of a Polish-Jewish student, who had died in Strassburg, in the cemetery belonging to the community. The report also stated that in view of the refusal of the community to permit the student’s burial, he had to be interred in a plot forty miles away from Strassburg.

In making its denial the Strassburg Jewish community gave the actual facts in the case. It appears that some time ago it became apparent that within a generation the cemetery of the Strassburg community would be completely filled if, as in the past, Jews were interred there without any restrictions. The community therefore decided to safeguard the rights of its members and to reserve the Strassburg cemetery for the local Jews exclusively.

This decision was reached about two years ago. However, in order to insure every co-religionist of a Jewish burial, the community purchased a plot of ground adjoining the cemetery of Gerstheim where all those who were not official members of the community would be buried without regard to their origin.

This was the case with the deceased Polish student, except that in his case the community went one step further and provided the expense of burial. The chief rabbi of Strassburg officiated at the funeral services and prayers were recited just as in the case of every burial in Strassburg itself.