From the Cantor - October 2002

Shalom, Chaveirim:

What exactly do we mean when we say that "death is a part of life" or that "funerals and burials are life-cycle functions"? Why do we usually end such a service with the words, "Go forth in peace, to life"? The idea of losing someone we love is hardly life affirming. But did you know that the Hebrew word for cemetery is Beit Chayim, or, literally, "house of life"? Perhaps we omit the mention of death here in order to keep the angel of death at bay. Perhaps there are other reasons. I'd like to hear yours.

The Mourner's Kaddish was written in the first century C.E. in Aramaic, the vernacular spoken by Jews at that time. We recite the Mourner's Kaddish in honor and in memory of someone we love who has died. If you look at the translation of the Mourner's Kaddish on page 629 of the Gates of Prayer, you will find that death is not mentioned in the Mourner's Kaddish even once. Instead, we speak of magnifying, dignifying, sanctifying, beautifying and otherwise sustaining God's Holy Name on our lips for eternity. The Mourner's Kaddish ends with a petition for peace for us and for all Israel. Take a moment to reason why the liturgist chose words of life, growth, beautification and peace in order to commemorate our departed ones. Here is something to think about: the shoresh (three-letter root) of Kaddish is koof, daled, shin which denotes holiness.

If you visit the Congregation Albert Cemetery at Fairview Memorial Park, you may be surprised at what an uplifting place it is. We have huge, handsome trees that appear older than the state of New Mexico. Noises from Yale Boulevard traffic seem somehow stilled behind Fairview's walls. The care and detail with which our Cemetery Committee labors tirelessly has enhanced and sustained our Beit Chayim's natural beauty. Death and burial are always sad; all too often they are tragic. But helping a loved one to find his or her final resting place makes us feel useful even when we think we can do no more to help. Reaching out to give and accept condolences brings a spark of light to the darkness of grieving. And the love we will always feel for our departed is an eternal bond that spans the gap between the world of the living and the world of the dead. Many are the heartbeats in a House of Life.

B'shalom u-v'shir,
Cantor Jacqueline L. Shuchat-Marx

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