Two years later, those Covid-inspired kabbalos and resolutions are still keeping us going.Eight personal accounts
Project Coordinator: Rachel Bachrach
Illustrations: Marion Bellina
Yocheved Goldberg
It was a Motzaei Shabbos last April when the call came.
“We have a taharah tonight, I think you’ll want to help — it’s a Holocaust survivor.”
The woman who runs our chevra kaddisha had been asking me to get seriously involved for years. We live in South Florida, which has a large population of elderly Jews; for many, it’s their last stop before their final destination. Our shul’s chevra works overtime, providing taharahs for members as well as for individuals who aren’t affiliated with the frum community but want to be buried as Jews. My friend, aware of the special connection I feel to survivors, knew this taharah would be especially meaningful to me.
While the local chevra kaddisha has always practiced with sensitivity and attention to detail, Covid challenged the group in unprecedented ways: the frequency of taharahs, dealing with inherent danger, and new safety protocols. I was blown away anew with the response to each taharah opportunity posted on the chevra’s WhatsApp group.
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