Rabbinical Court Cancels Israeli Woman’s Request To Be Cremated After She Commits Suicide

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — The request of a young woman who died by suicide to have her body cremated will not be carried out, after the Higher Rabbinical Court accepted an appeal against the decision of the Regional Rabbinical Court in Ariel.

The story began with a 31-year-old Israeli woman who was found deceased in St. Moritz, Switzerland, after taking her own life. Near her body, authorities discovered her Israeli passport and a will, which had been notarized in Israel approximately two and a half weeks before her death. In her will, the woman explicitly instructed that if she were to die in Switzerland, her body should be cremated near the place of death and without delay.

Additionally, she specified that her ashes should be stored in Switzerland until her brother collects them in person within 30 days of her passing. The will further stated that her mother should be the sole executor of her estate and the only heir.

The process of executing the will was initiated at the Regional Rabbinical Court in Ariel. During the hearing, the woman’s mother testified that her daughter had suffered from severe mental distress, delusions, and hallucinations, and was not of sound mind when she signed the will.

Following the current hearing, the Higher Rabbinical Court ruled that the deceased was not mentally competent to make decisions regarding her inheritance or her body. As a result, the will was declared invalid, and the court ordered that her body be transported to Israel as soon as possible for burial according to Jewish law.