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The Charlotte Jewish News - November 2016 - Page 9 Annual Community Memorial Service Nearly 300 Jewish Charlot- teans gathered on a beautiful and sunny day right after Hurrieane Matthew at the Hebrew Cemetery for the Community’s Annual Me- Marc Silverman with information on Silverman Circle. ” mortal Serviee. It is a speeial serviee that is held all around the world between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. On this day we re member our lost loved ones and eelebrate and honor their lives. Our eommunity’s an nual memorial serviee is es- peeially meaningful beeause all elergy serving the Greater Charlotte Area unite together in prayer. This year Congre gation Ohr HaTorah’s Rabbi Yossi Groner led the serviee. The eomplete text of his re marks follows. Board president, Brian The Yesowiteh, spoke to the erowd about his legaey gift to Girl Scout Troop #1240 with LJCC CEO Blair. the eemetery through the Create your Jewish Legaey program. Peter Blair, CEO of the LJCC pre sented the Girl Seouts Bronze Aehievement Award to the Jewish Girl Seout Troop # 1240 for ere- ating a searehable digital arehive of the Cemetery, having eompiled over 1,100 photos of grave markers for the interna tional website billion- graves.eom. In addition, Mike Littauer, Viee Presi dent of the Board of Trustees, announeed the “Silverman Cirele” art work, a beautiful tree of life will adorn the eeme tery entranee for all to enjoy. Mare and Mattye Silverman are donat ing this one of a kind pieee that will be ereated by eminent North Carolina seulpture artist, Jim Gal- lueei. Viee President Littauer also I Hebrew Cemetery Peter arlotit spoke about 5777 and 2017 mark ing the eemetery’s 150 year an niversary. Details of the eelebrations in 2017 will be an nouneed soon. For more informa tion regarding funeral pre planning, plot sales, membership or leaving a bequest, please eon- taet our Direetor Sandra Goldman at 704-576-1859 or direetor@ hebreweemetery.org. The staff and board of the Hebrew Ceme tery Assoeiation wishes everyone a happy and prosperous 5777. ^ Rabbi Groner’s Remarks at the Annual Community Service at the Hebrew Cemetery In these heightened days of awareness, the days before Yom Kippur, we assemble here, at The Hebrew Cemetery, as a community, to reflect, remember and give honor to those who are dear to us in soul and spirit as they live in our hearts forever. King Solomon writes in Ecclesi astes, the Book of Kohelet, in de scribing a visit to a house of mourning; V’Hacai Yitein El Libbo - that the living should take it to heart. This applies when visiting a ceme tery as well. We the living, when visiting loved ones at the cemetery, are to take to heart the life lessons we leam from those who departed, internalize it and apply these lessons to daily life. So what are the lessons for us the living? I would like to suggest two lessons that we could take to heart. One lesson we leam is that phys ical life is not forever and hence we need to fill the time we have on earth with matters of value and meaning. While visiting here we are to reflect on our own lives and see how to make it more meaningful and filled with productivity and content. When our time comes and our soul ascends to heaven we are not asked how we enjoyed life or how much time we spent vacationing, rather, as the Talmud puts it: The heavenly court asks the soul, have you dealt with people with integrity? Do you set aside time to study Torah? Did you work to improve our world and make it a better place? The definition of a long life is not only the quantity of time, it is also, the quality of time. Some people have lived short lives in years but lived long lives in meaning and ac complishments. For us the survivors it is never too late to make up for lost time. That is indeed the power of Teshuva - re turn to the way we are meant to be. It is during these holy days that we have the power to transform our past and make our days, years and decades ahead of us meaningful and filled with quality. A second lesson we leam is the value and preciousness of genuine communication. Here on this sacred ground we communicate silently, we express our feelings and we know that they are genuine and authentic. Here we do not hide behind the ex ternal fagade of how we look or dress, neither do we communicate through an artificial device. Here we experience the real thing. It is here at the eternal resting place of our loved ones that we feel the yearning to reconnect to tell our loved ones how we love them. We want them to know how we long for one more embrace, for one more kiss, for one more handshake, and for one more meaningful conversa tion. Yet, we do not despair, as Ju daism teaches that the soul of the de parted lives on and it bonds with us on a deeper, and more spiritual way then even in its lifetime. Deeds of Tzdakah done in their merit is like sending the departed soul a hug, our study of Torah in the soul’s merit gives it a spiritual boost in its journey of the beyond. This is more relevant today than ever before. As advanced communi cation technology has improved our global connectivity to the point that there is here and here is everywhere, it poses the risk of us using devices in place of genuine undistracted communication. I have seen a cou ple sitting in the same room en grossed in their devices that the wife needed to text her husband to get his attention. It is genuine communica tion that allows us to bond as hu mans. So the lesson we learn is to be genuine in our communication. Be real and be a Mensch. The living should take to heart visiting the cemetery is like taking a tour of our roots. The Mishna in Ethics of Fathers says: Know where you came from to know where you are going. Our roots are deep and being deeply grounded we can soar to the greatest heights. We are living in precarious times. On the one hand, we have never had it so good. In the scheme of the his torical timeline of Jewish life, we are living in the best of times. That is so cially, financially, and democrati cally. We are also living in times of worry, young people are being lost to Judaism and many have apathy towards Israel. It is the duty of our generation to take responsibility and act. Yesterday we read in the Torah the description the last two com mandments of the 613 command ments of the Torah. These were the last commandments that Moses transmitted to the people of Israel on the day he passed away. 612 is to assemble all the Jewish people at the conclusion of the Sab batical year where the King of Israel would address them with words of strength and encouragement. Les son: Assembly, families bonding to gether and strengthening our roots. 613 is the Mitzvah of writing a Torah. Everyone is obligated to write a Torah or at least write a letter in the Torah. Or to sponsor a letter in the Torah. Yes it still done the old way by human touch where a scribe write the sacred words with a quill. Les son: Hands on Judaism. Give the youth a taste of authenticity and they will ask for more. I would like to close with a quote from Rabbi Jonathan Sacks: “Jews are among the world’s most enthusiastic users of informa tion technology and have con tributed disproportionately to its development (Google, Facebook, Waze). But we still write the Torah exactly as it was done thousands of years ago — by hand, with a quill, on a parchment scroll. This is not a paradox; it is a profound truth. Peo ple who carry their past with them, can build the future without fear”. We have a wonderful future ahead. It is up to us the living to take the lessons to heart apply them. May we all be granted a Gmar Chatima Tova a good and sweet year. ^ “Working with a coach heiped me move forward. Now i own a business i iove.” Harvey Smith, PCC Adam Petricoff, Owner VR Business Brokers/Mergers & Acquisitions www.vrcharlotte.com Ready to move forward in your own career or business? Call today to schedule a complimentary coaching consultation. 704-604-1655 WWW. .CiolinaBusiness Coach. com Experience. Knowledge. Commitment. Three Important Quantities Richard Roskind Realtor/Broker 704.905.6175 ♦ rcroskind@aol.com www.RoskindHomes.com
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