Family unable to bury boy, 16, who died in fall from Netanya roof
Police: Youth admits to pushing Sisai; Boy's father failed his conversion test, creating problem for burial.
By Yaniv Kubovich, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Israel newsThe family of Sisai Astan, the 16-year-old who fell to his death from a school roof in Netanya on Saturday, has been unable to find a Jewish burial plot for the youth.
Astan is believed to have been on the Rashi School roof with other teenagers. Police are investigating the incident, and suspect that the youth may have been on the roof trying to inhale air conditioner gas.
Police on Sunday said that one of the boy's friends admitted to pushing him off the roof while under the influence of the gas.
Police found plastic bottles and silver foil that apparently were used to inhale the gas.
Sharon Police spokesman said Saturday that Astan suffered fatal injuries as a result of his fall. Magen David Adom emergency services confirmed his death at the site.
Families that are not considered Jewish by Israeli authorities face burial problems. Sisai's father failed his conversion test because he is not fluent in Hebrew, says the family, and as the sole breadwinner, he lacks the time to study.
The family also said Sisai was recently suspended for five days from school for disciplinary reasons, which they say this caused him to wander the streets with the group of friends with whom he spent the final hours before his death.
The family added that they are unfamiliar with the youth who allegedly admitted to pushing Sisai from the roof and insist he was a good boy.
The boy's father emigrated to Israel with the child when he was two after his mother died.
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This story is by: Yaniv Kubovich, Haaretz Correspondent
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I assume they were able to make Aliya because the boy's deceased mother was Jewish. Isn't that enough? This poor family has been through enough. Where is the merciful Judaism we all believe in? Nowhere to be found as long as state & religion are intertwined.
Being a veteran of the U.S. Army, I am entitled to burial in an American Military Cemetery, with full honors, at government expense, once my coffin reaches the gates of the cemetery Other American's that haven't served can't get buried there, they're not entitled to it Are you now going to rant that America isn't a Democracy?
Being a Democracy doesn't mean that anyone can do anything they feel like Burial space is available in a non-Jewish facility Jews can't get buried in a Muslim cemetery, so go find fault with the Muslims, your ignorant yutz
Nobody confirmed that's the cause he was not converted. And yes, in order to convert one must learn at least a litle hebrew so he can understand what he is converting for, without being able to pray or understand the commandaments, how can one become a jew. A born jew don't need to convert, so he there's no technical obligation to learn hebrew. But if one want to pray and learn Torah, one have to know hebrew.
Israel denying a child of Israel the right to a timely burial because he is not Jewish enough! What a neurotic twisted little state Israel is! For Christ sake, what is the problem - do the 'Holy' people of Israel fear the child's bones will contaminate the soil!!!
even if the father converted it would not make the son jewish if the mother was not jews when he was born or converted himself.IM sure that there will be solution to the problem
"burial for non-Jews" so it seems a non-Jewish cemetery would be the proper place On the other hand, if a Gentile speaks Hebrew is he entitled to be buried in a Jewish Cemetery?
It seems unfortunate that the boy's father was not converted because he doesn't speak Hebrew, a language which not all Jews speak. Why is knowledge of Hebrew a prerequisite for conversion? If anything, it should be linked to citizenship. Our inability to provide dignified and prompt burial for non-Jews is shameful.