From the President - October 2002

A Real Mitzvah

Often, we do not give enough thought to how lucky we are to have so many dedicated volunteers, staff and individuals who work so hard for our congregation. A prime example is how our slightly run down and slightly disheveled cemetery has now become a beautiful and well-kept memorial to those who have passed.

Almost two years ago, Marty Mondlick and Allan Levine devised a plan to upgrade and improve our cemetery. After many years of very tight budgets and other priorities, the cemetery was falling on hard times. Initially, Marty and Allan encountered passive resistance, delays and polite but very vague promises. They were not to be deterred. Over time, they pushed, cajoled, persisted and slowly brought to fruition, a real plan to improve the care of the grounds. It started with a modest budget to hire a new groundskeeper, Chris Saavedra. It developed into a larger budget to remove encroaching trees, straighten tombstones and level the grounds, repave the roadway and repair the drainage system.

Over time, the cemetery was cleaned, nurtured and today it is well on the way to being a beautiful and honorable place of eternal rest. But the real mitzvah has been in the details that Marty, Allan and Chris have added to our cemetery.

It was not enough to water the grass, weed it and mow. These menches were not satisfied with the minimum. They brought their individual pride and personal satisfaction to the project. And it shows! Chris Saavedra has adopted our cemetery and provides genuine loving care to it. He even brings his family to rake, mow and work on the grounds. He has brought a real sense of respect for the deceased and the living.

The gravestone of Albert Grunsfeld, for whom our temple was named, was partially broken, and Chris is in the process of repairing it. There was no place for mourners to sit, and benches have been sparsely placed so that visitors can sit and reflect. And one day, Chris noticed that visitors would leave pebbles on the graves and sometimes had trouble finding the little stones. So what did he do?

Chris built a small retaining wall in the front and a planter in the rear, and filled them with pebbles for visitors to use. This thoughtful action is only one mitzvah which Chris, Allan and Marty have performed for our congregation.

When you get a chance, visit our cemetery. See how it looks and take a moment to thank those who have been taking so much time and personal commitment to care for it. What a mitzvah they have done!

Michael Gross,
President

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