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Israel court allows transgender woman's cremation
In this photo taken on Wednesday, Nov
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In this photo taken on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2015, Sheeneneh Smith, a transgender woman, speaks after performing during a Trans Day of Remembrance program, in New York. For a few transgender Americans, this has been a year of glamour and fame. For many others, 2015 has been fraught with danger, violence and mourning. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson) (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
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span class="inline inline-center">In this photo taken on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2015, Sheeneneh Smith, a transgender woman, speaks after performing during a Trans Day of Remembrance program, in New York. For a few transgender Americans, this has been a year of glamour and fame. For many others, 2015 has been fraught with danger, violence and mourning. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
Israel's Supreme Court has cleared the way for the cremation of a transgender woman who committed suicide, rejecting an appeal by her religiously observant family for a traditional Jewish burial.
May Peleg killed herself this month and asked in her will to be cremated. Peleg's family is ultra-Orthodox, a deeply conservative community, and Jewish law forbids cremation.
The family's lawyer argued that Peleg was psychologically unstable when she decided she wanted to be cremated. He said the family, who was not in touch with Peleg, wanted a Jewish burial.
The court was forced to balance the family's desire and the restrictions of Jewish law against Peleg's individual rights to choose how to be buried.
In the decision, obtained Wednesday, the court sided with Peleg's representatives. (dan)
