Judges throw out attempt to stop Rona Ramon cremation

High Court says lawyer had no standing to ‘intervene in a matter between a person and their family’ and orders he pay NIS 3,000 for frivolous lawsuit

The High Court of Justice on Sunday rejected a petition by a lawyer to keep the family of Rona Ramon from cremating her body.

Ramon — wife of Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon, who died aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia, and mother of fighter pilot Asaf Ramon, who died on a training mission — had asked to be cremated to avoid making her children endure another funeral.

Ramon died last week, at age 54, after a battle with cancer.

Cremation is rare in Israel, as it goes against both Jewish and Muslim tradition. Lawyer Shimon Ashur argued that it was illegal and would harm the public’s sensibilities.

However, the judges said Ashur had no standing to “intervene in a matter between a person and their family,” and ordered him to pay NIS 3,000 (some $800) for the frivolous lawsuit.

Orthodox rabbis last week urged the Ramon family not to comply with her final wish.

In a letter to the surviving Ramon children last Wednesday, Rabbi Yehuda Deri, the chief rabbi of the southern city of Beersheba, implored them to arrange a traditional burial. Deri is also the brother of Interior Minister Aryeh Deri.

Deri, who said he was speaking on behalf of other rabbis as well, offered to arrange a modest funeral for the family.

Rabbi Yuval Cherlow of the modern Orthodox community, a founder of the Tzohar rabbinical organization, also cautiously waded into the issue, calling Rona Ramon’s intentions to shield her loved ones from pain “noble,” but misguided.

Others, including Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, a prominent religious Zionist leader and rabbi of Beit El, said it was not a matter for rabbis to decide.

Marissa Newman contributed to this report.