Woman Who Can’t Afford To Buy Burial Plot Hoping To Rent

Official regulations guarantee every citizen a burial plot, but that right extends only to the bare provision of a place of interment; it does not guarantee any specific location, type of grave, or placement next to other deceased relatives.

Jerusalem, August 19 – A local resident concerned with the steep price of real estate fears she will not have the resources to purchase a grave when the time comes, and instead intends to pursue a lease arrangement, neighborhood sources reported today.

Gigi Konmi, 30, told acquaintances Monday that her long-term financial picture does not appear to include the ability to own a burial plot, given the skyrocketing cost of property for both before and after death. To address this lack, Ms. Konimi plans to explore options that involve temporary occupancy, even if long-term, of a grave, and not the much more expensive option of permanent ownership of such a piece of land.

“I gave up last year on ever thinking I could own a home, especially in this city,” she explained. “Jerusalem is definitely where I want to be; I can’t see myself anywhere else. My friends are here, my family’s here, and this is where I’ve always worked and spent time. But housing prices are just out of reach. I came to the realization over the last couple of weeks, though, that the same holds true for after I die. Securing a burial plot in this town costs an arm and a leg.”

Official regulations guarantee every citizen a burial plot, but that right extends only to the bare provision of a place of interment; it does not guarantee any specific location, type of grave, or placement next to other deceased relatives, even a spouse. Arranging any of those details can run into the tens of thousands of dollars.

“I do intend to get married eventually, and there’s no way I can see affording one burial plot, let alone two,” Ms. Konmi continued. “So we’re just going to have to continue post-mortem with the way things are while we’re alive. If that means clearing out every now and then to a more affordable place, so be it. Some of us have limited cash flow, you know? Who can afford such a huge outlay all at once?”

She then voiced concern that a proper burial may soon lie beyond the reach of ordinary Jerusalemites. “I understand they’re having a similar problem in Tel Aviv,” added Konmi. “Sooner or later only rich people will have their own private graves, while the rest of us have to pay through the nose just to occupy one temporarily. I can’t imagine what it’s like for people who can’ even afford that, and have to be buried on a friend’s couch until they pull themselves together.”

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