Innovative Cemetery Built Underground in Jerusalem
Being buried in the land of Israel is an honor for Jewish people all over the world, as many greatly desire the Holy Land to be their final resting place. With limited space for new burial plots, Israel needed to figure out how to create a new cemetery. Its solution is brilliant!
The Hallowed Halls of Eternal Life (Minharot Olam) has been designed as an underground cemetery, the first of its kind worldwide. It can be found beneath Har HaMenuchot, the largest cemetery in Jerusalem.
The Hallowed Halls cemetery sits 165 feet underground; is accessible by elevators and golf carts; and boasts many impressive features for a subterranean facility, including closed-circuit cameras, 24-hour security, intercom, WiFi and cell reception, and thermostat-controlled temperatures for comfortable funerals and memorial services. Engineers and architects spent six years completing the cemetery and worked carefully to ensure the site would be in accordance with Jewish law.
I’m impressed by the vision and construction of this innovative cemetery. Because the project’s workers consulted closely with rabbis, the finished product is an architectural marvel that honors and respects Jewish custom effectively. This cemetery is a thoughtful solution that allows more Jewish people the great honor of burial in their homeland.
