Scripture and Jewish tradition dictate burial of the deceased in the ground. In Genesis 3:19, dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return. Ecclesiastes 12:7 states The dust returns to the dust as it was, but the spirit returns to G¨d who gave it. Thus, mausoleums are extremely rare in Judaism. Instead, Jewish cemetery monuments are placed over the earthen grave.
While earth burial is traditional, the three movements of Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform Judaism disagree over this sensitive issue. Orthodox tradition mandates below-ground burial only. The Reform movement allows above-ground interment in a Jewish mausoleum based on precedents and historic sites such as Rachel’s Tomb. Different Conservative synagogues decide on each proposed mausoleum separately.
Chile has three historic mausoleums, two in Valparaiso, the port city in the central region, and one in Temuco, in the South. All were established in the 1920ties. They are located in public cemeteries after liberal governments established at the end of the 19th century a series of laws that included the creation of lay cemeteries, where burials would be granted without distinction of creed or religious denomination
Valparaiso
In the Playa Ancha cemetery with view of the sea are two Jewish adjacent mausoleums, built by two societies that were previously united. They solved the religious problem by covering the roof of the mausoleum with earth. Besides a hall and main front entrance at ground level there is also an underground chamber at the back of the building. The site is not longer used for burials as the community has now it's own cemetery.
Temuco
The "Hessed Veemet Society" was in charge of religious matters including the cemetery. It established soon after the mausoleum in the public cemetery. The Jewish section, immediately surrounded by Christian burial plots, has traditional graves and a mausoleum that is fully at ground level. The site continues to be used.
