Kiryat Shaul Cemetery 2.53

Kiryat Shaul Cemetery is a 320-dunam Jewish burial ground in Northern Tel Aviv near the neighborhood of Kiryat Shaul. On the east side of the cemetery is a large military cemetery. Founded in 1943, it includes more than 80,000 graves, including those of Israeli political and cultural figures. Due to lack of space, since 1991, the Yarkon Cemetery has been serving as the main cemetery for the Tel Aviv Metropolitan Area.HistoryThe Cemetery was established in 1943 when the Chair of the Religious Council of Tel Aviv, David-Zvi Pinkas, feared that they will run out of burial space in the Nahalat Yitzhak Cemetery. Chairman of the Chevra kadisha, Zalman Meisel, opened in negotiations to purchase the land. The purchase was completed in 1949. During its early years, the cemetery faced strong opposition, particularly from Planning Division at the Ministry of Interior. The opposition slowly subsided the following year.While the sign above the entrance still say "Central Cemetery", due to dwindling burial places, Yarkon Cemetery which opened in 1991 near Petah Tikva now serves as the main cemetery for the Tel Aviv Metropolitan Area. While Kiryat Shaul still accepts new burials, it is categorized as a "closed cemetery" by Bituah Leumi, allowing the collection of fees.