Chabad of Lake Havasu City, located in a remote part of Western Arizona, sought to address a practical obstacle to Jewish burial in the region. The nearest Jewish cemetery was more than two hours away across state lines, and costs at established Jewish cemeteries in Phoenix and Las Vegas exceeded $5,000 for a burial plot plus opening and closing fees.
Rabbi Mendel Super and his wife Itta, who direct the Chabad organization, identified an alternative solution through a municipal cemetery in a nearby rural town, where plots cost $650 with an additional $600 for opening and closing services.
Through coordination with cemetery management, Chabad of Lake Havasu City will establish the first Jewish cemetery section in Western Arizona. The organization is purchasing 60 plots for a newly designated Jewish section, with all plots required to be paid for in advance under cemetery policy.
The cemetery will serve Jewish residents across Western Arizona in partnership with other regional organizations and the Arizona Meis Mitzvah Project.
Rabbi Super noted that demand exists for such a facility. "Just over this summer alone, we have had five requests from Jews living in Bullhead City and Kingman to have a Jewish burial. None have the means to pay for it."
The organization is soliciting donations to fund the burial plots.