Itongadol.- Plans to build Israel\’s first-ever entirely underground cemetery are underway in Hadera, in an effort to solve the space shortage for burial grounds in the country.
The cemetery is a pilot project that will be repeated in other cities if deemed successful. It will reach a depth of 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) underground, using a "Sanhedrin burial style," with two levels of burial niches. On top of the complex, there will be a section for traditional burials.
Tzahi Yitzhak Levinsky, head of the Levinsky architecture firm that is responsible for the project, said, "The goal is to maximize our use of the land, to ensure adequate access and to follow the guidelines of Jewish law.
"Currently, there are 900 graves dug in a dunam [1,000 square meters], now, we will be able to have 1,470 graves in a dunam. The new cemetery will be one dunam plus 700 [square] meters and will hold 2,500 graves."
He went on to describe the project: "Above ground, there will be a floating roof, a fair distance from the graves, to allow for natural light, ventilation and room for two levels of graves underground.
"We don\’t want a lot of concrete and burial towers. The underground burial and floating roof will make it so that passersby won\’t even know it\’s a cemetery."
The project has been meticulously planned and designed. "It will look like a square spiral, a shape that simulates a sort of emotional storm," Levinsky said. "When you think about a storm, you think about a tornado, a spiral. In this case, I want to create more space, so the spiral will have a square shape."
Hadera Hevra Kadisha burial society Director Yosef Gershon said, "This is a very well-thought out project that would suit any city in Israel, especially those with space issues. We put a lot of effort into the aesthetics and design.
"Upon descending the elevator, visitors will see an expansive burial area, filled with natural night and well-ventilated. There are also no issues regarding Jewish law, since the graves are underground."
The project will be presented at a conference about underground burials held by hevra kadisha members later this month.
It is expected to cost 10 million to 15 million shekels ($2.6 million to $3.9 million) and will take about three years to build.
Hevra Kadisha burial services forum director Ze\’ev Rosenberg said, "This dramatic change in burial systems will change the image of the hevra kadisha and improve burial services in Israel."