24 hours later
© Joy Krauthammer
Today I posted photos on FaceBook of Marcel with his friends and rabbi. Aviva, too, had posted a loving photo.
At Chabad of Northridge to say Kaddish, a friend Michael, who recently lost his wife, gave me a photo that I had given to him a couple dozen years ago. There was Marcel with his beloved Rabbi Menachem Bryski, founding rabbi of Northridge Chabad, and also with congregant, Michael G. I had taken the photo at Young Israel of Northridge, so there must have been a simcha that day for Chabad members to be at YION. Some of us are involved at both orthodox shuls, and others.
After saying kaddish (always on weekdays the only woman on my side), I donated tzadakah for the rabbi to plant pretty flowers at shul in lieu of the calla tubers which are not in bloom in the winter. Mine were blooming only a few weeks ago. The shuls' callas are orange and mine are yellow with red. Rabbi said I could have some tubers.
Friends were in shul at 7am, and greeted me from the other side of the mechitzah. Larry Block always says good words about Marcel. Today he didn't tell the 'Marcel story' about "judgement" that he shares every year. Maybe next year... Each yarhzeit and yiskor I go the the memorial board at shul, and I give a kiss to Marcel's plague that I had created for him. I don't think we had discussed it ahead of time, as we did the grave monument.
After shul, at home, I called my mother-in-law. We each acknowledged the day by saying we were in shul. Aviva had gone with Thea last evening. A couple weeks ago, Aviva and family, and friend, Brian, went to the grave, and we left stones. The candle is now almost flickered out. I talked to Marcel, and to G*d.
With memories, Joy
Very interesting stuff about Yahrzeit Kaddish.
ReplyDelete