Buried under the Jewish rite

A burial under the Jewish rite was made yesterday when Stanley Davis, founder of the British Residents Association, was buried in a ceremony that is not exactly common in Malta.

Mr Davis, who made Malta his retirement home 34 years ago, was laid to rest next to his wife Rita, who passed away 16 months before him. He was 85 and died on January 29.

Apart from British residents in Malta, Mr Davis was also devoted to the Jewish community here. He was a Reform Jew and his burial at the Marsa cemetery was conducted by Rabbi Herbert Richer, also a Reform Jew.

The Jews in Malta are, however, Orthodox Jews. They number some 100, many of them descendants of Jewish families. Only very few were converts, said Reuben Ohajon.

He said it was probable that the first Jews came to Malta with the Phoenicians.

Although Mr Davis' body was wrapped in a shroud, according to Jewish custom, he was buried in a coffin - in Malta Jews can choose whether or not to be buried in a coffin, as they also do in some other countries.

Rabbi Richer said it was not common in Europe today for Jews to be buried in a shroud only, and some countries did not allow it for sanitary reasons.

He said that only in Arab countries was it the norm for Jews to be buried in a shroud.

In Jewish burials, graves are used for one person only. Earth is thrown on the coffin by family and friends as a sign of respect after this is laid into the ground. Rocks are put on graves instead of flowers.

Lawrence Attard Bezzina, a member of the community, said that Maltese Jews were Orthodox Jews. The community meets for prayers every first and third Saturday of the month and also celebrates all Jewish feasts, which number about 12 each year. The Jewish year starts in September.

Children, who number about 20, attend Sunday classes and are taught Hebrew by Mr Ohajon who, although he is not a rabbi, presides most Jewish prayers as he is well versed in Hebrew and Jewish law. The Jewish community in Malta does not have a Jewish Orthodox rabbi.

Asked whether there was racism against Jews in Malta, Mr Attard Bezzina said there was no racism from the government side, but there were Maltese who hated Israel. There was also some anti-Semitism by some university lecturers.