Our Parsha relates the great efforts that Avrohom invested in the burial of his wife, Sarah. His actions stand as an example to the importance Judaism gives to respecting the dignity of the dead. However it does not end there. Every person is given a soul at birth, which is their life force on this earth. Although the physical body eventually dies, the soul lives on and is returned to Hashem. Many Jewish practices exist that aim to uplift the soul and make it more ‘comfortable’ in the upper worlds. This includes saying Kaddish or reciting prayers by the person’s grave.
It was only a couple of years ago while walking in Prestwich village that I sat on a bench (opposite the co-op funeral parlour) and looked through a narrow gate in the red brick wall behind me. I noticed there a large slab of stone with Hebrew writing on it. I got up, peered through the bars and saw a small, and very unkempt Jewish cemetery. I almost felt sorry for these people, lost to time and probably much unknown, even to the local Jewish community. Not to miss the special opportunity of performing chessed (acts of kindness) in uplifting these souls, I ensure that whenever I pass by the site I recite a chapter of psalms in their memory.
Continuing with this theme, I would like to share with you the story of how while on holiday on a remote island, I came across an unexpected Jewish grave and again merited to recite a prayer to benefit the soul…
Each year around March time, my wife and I realize that if we wish to go away in the summer, we need to quickly book something before all the nice cottages get taken. The year 2012 was no exception, and we began searching the various websites (sykes, cottages4u etc…) to find an appropriate place to go. I always liked the idea of staying on a Scottish Island, which naturally met both my wife’s desire of visiting the sea and my hobby of fishing. I looked at the map (an old pastime of mine) and saw that the only island relatively near to Manchester was the Isle of Arran, shaped somewhat like the figure of eight and about an hour’s ferry ride from the Scottish mainland.
Not knowing much about Arran, I realised that a tourist guide would be of great use so I browsed the internet in an attempt to purchase one. However the search did not run too smoothly as I discovered that this item was hard to come by. I ended up ordering something which sounded like it may be a guide… but much to my chagrin, it was not.
As I leafed through the many pages I realized that what I had purchased was in fact a guide to the ancient wars, churches and Gaelic poems composed on the island, not something I was too interested in at that time, nor am I interested in now. I therefore placed it in that special place where all unusual books go – the bathroom.
As our holiday approached, I thought I’d give Gaelic poetry a try and began indulging in its beautiful prose and rhyme (I can only presume it’s beautiful as I don’t speak Gaelic). However in doing so, I noticed something unusual about the book; pages 54 and 55 appeared twice! I figured that there must be some minor difference between the pages and began scrutinising them for subtle differences, much like the ‘spot the difference’ games of children’s magazines. As I took a closer look, something unexpected caught my eye, but could it really be?
The picture showed the Kilbride Old Church Cemetery in Lamlash, East Arran. In it, barely visible, were a row of WW2 army graves, each adorned with a large cross. The last one however looked rather different – it exhibited the Star of David. Wow, I said to myself, there must be a Jewish person buried there.
What I initially thought to be an unfortunate purchase ended in being my guide to uplift a lonely Jewish soul. Who knows if anyone said Kaddish for this person? How often did someone recite psalms in their memory?
It turned out that our friend was Mr Jack Wixen, a young Russian immigrant who tragically died at only 27 years old. He was part of crew of 21 soldiers who were on board a large plane headed for Canada in August of 1941. Sadly the plane entered low clouds and crashed into the high mountains of Arran, killing all 21 passengers.
I thus made it my mission, whilst on holiday, to visit this lonely Jew and recite a prayer in his memory. And I did! Likewise, this coming Sunday, our community, together with the entire nation, will unite in remembering those gave their lives for the freedom and democracy that we enjoy today.
Good Shabbos—Mychiel