Raising the dead: Lack of space forces cemeteries skywards

A new vertical construction at the Yarkon cemetery outside the city of Petah Tikva, Israel.

Versions of stacked cemeteries already exist in some shape or form in many parts of the world, but only in Israel does the phenomenon appear to be part of a government-backed master plan. Aside from those who have already purchased their future plots, individual outdoor graves are no longer offered to the families of the more than 35,000 Israelis who die each year.

“If there is no more room to build homes in Jerusalem, I prefer burying in layers,” says Chananya Shahor, manager of the Jerusalem burial society. “God gave us land for living, not for dying.”