On 5/31/05 (9:11:18 AM MDT), in a posting to NYSUFFOL-L@rootsweb.com, Terri (taire@webtv.net) wrote, "Thanks UncleFred, for sending that. It is very interesting. I've wondered for quite a while about the amounts of land being used for cemeteries and how much longer we have before there's no more room?? Are future generations gonna have to resort to catacombs? I've decided to be cremated. And while my 5'3'', 110 lb body will only be a drop in the bucket -- it'll be my contribution to more space. :))" For those who might have missed the original posting, "UncleFred", the administrator of both NYSUFFOL-L@rootsweb.com and NYNASSAU-L@rootsweb.com, posted: http://www.forgotten-ny.com/CEMETERIES/mtzion/mtzion.htm Secondly, it is the Biblical Jewish custom, based on Avraham (Abraham) purchasing a cave to bury Sarai (Sarah), to bury in caves (catacombs). The catacombs in Rome were originally Jewish burial caves. Jews, unlike most Christian denominations, are not required by their faith to have a building such as a "Church" (the Jewish house of worship is referred to as a shul, temple or synagogue), but are required to have an owned and consecrated cemetery property. That's why there will be a Jewish cemetery before a Jewish house of worship. The reason for this is that Jewish religious services only require the presence of a minimum of 10 Jewish adults (usually males only) and these religious services can be held almost anywhere and do not require the presence of a cleric (rabbi or cantor). On the other hand, Jews must be buried in a Jewish cemetery and, because of what Avraham did by purposely purchasing the burial cave, the cemetery must be legally purchased before being consecrated. While Jewish belief differs from both Christianity (there are some Christian groups that no longer hold this belief) and Islam (Christians and Moslems believe that only those who accept Christian or Islam beliefs can go to Heaven) in that non-Jews who live a good life will go to Heaven, regardless of their beliefs, Jewish law requires that Jews only be buried with other Jews. Hence, only Jews are buried in a Jewish cemetery, and in the case of a married couple, one who is and one who isn't Jewish, then there is a great likelihood that they will be buried in separate cemeteries (as was the case for Houdini (Eric Weiss), who was a Jew, and his wife (Wilhelmina Rahner), who was a Roman Catholic, who are buried in separate cemeteries: Houdini in Machpelah Cemetery in the Ridgewood section of Queens and his wife in Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne, NY). For more information on Jewish burial practices, please see: http://www.jewish-funerals.org/ I hope this information is useful or, at least, interesting. Regards, Walter Greenspan