If we want to learn how to search for grave records in Israel related to a relative we are researching about, it's recommended to start by searching in MyHeritage’s collection of grave records, which is the main source of the grave records in Israel, as MyHeritage completed the digitalization of all the cemeteries in Israel and published this collection on its website in 2019 to make it searchable online, with the help of BillionGraves and more than thirty thousand volunteers.
On the search form, it is possible to find the simple option to write the first and last name of the person you are looking for; this collection has more than 50 million grave records from all over the world and not only Israel. For that reason, in order to refine the search results to come only from Israel, users can either write both the first and last names in Hebrew in the search engine or type “Israel” under “Death/Burial Place” and then click on the orange “Search” button to obtain more accurate results.
It is also possible to add more details to a search on MyHeritage by using the “Add details” buttons in the form, which will open new search fields according to the details selected. Additionally, more details can be included after running the search using the search field that remains docked at the top of the screen when viewing the results.
In most cases, the only relatives that will help are the father and mother, which are most commonly used when inscribing the Hebrew name of the deceased on the grave.
For example, when searching for David Cohen’s grave, this will return at least a thousand results, as it is a very common name. But by adding the name “Shmuel” in Hebrew as David Cohen’s father, for instance, the search results will be a smaller and more focused list. However, the best practice is not to enter too many details in the search engine, to minimize the risk of entering incorrect details by mistake. Ideally, the research should begin with the minimum number of details: the first and last name of the deceased and the country, and then adding more details to narrow the search and optimize the results received.
In a different example, by searching for “Betzalel Gluzman” in Hebrew characters, as well as the country — in this case, Israel — and then click on the “Search” button and after that, clicking on the relevant name that appears in the search results.
After clicking on the name of the person or on the white rectangle where their information appears, a new window will appear with the picture of the grave on the right side, and several details about the deceased on the left side.
The details will always contain the name of the deceased, the date of death, and the burial place. At least the name of one parent will appear as well at the bottom in the “Relatives” section. More details such as birth date may be included, depending on the details engraved on the tombstone. One miscellaneous but very important fact that is added in grave records in Israel is whether the person buried emigrated to Israel, which is denoted with the words in Hebrew "עלה ארצה" for a male and "עלתה ארצה" for a female, both meaning "made aliya to the land [of Israel]"; this fact can be relevant when searching for individuals with a relatively common name and when we are sure the person emigrated to Israel, instead of their body being brought to Israel for burial, which is a relatively common practice among religious Jews. Another field that can appear is if the person died in a terrorist attack or a military operation, facts that can especially appear on military cemeteries throughout the country.
The picture can be seen in detail by clicking on the thumbnail, which will redirect to the grave record on the BillionGraves website. A login to that website is necessary in order to view the full image. The image can be downloaded by right-clicking on it, and selecting the option “Save image as”. All downloaded images will have a watermark on the bottom right corner.
The BillionGraves advanced search engine has an additional option for searching, as it is possible to search by cemetery, which can provide a more specific result in case the name being researched is commonly found. After clicking on “Cemetery Search”, a map of the country will appear, and it is possible to zoom in until the desired cemetery has been found, or alternatively, it is possible to search by the name of the city/town where it is located or the name of the cemetery.
Research grave records in Israel on MyHeritage
Explore more about grave records in Israel
- Grave records at Hevron and Adivi Cemeteries, Israel at MyHeritage
- Grave records from BillionGraves at MyHeritage
- Digital Gravestones on the MyHeritage Knowledge Base
- The Silver Matchbox That Saved a Life on the MyHeritage Blog
- MyHeritage Completed Digitizing All of Israel’s Cemeteries! on the MyHeritage Blog