Do you remember, just about 2 months ago, when we woke up every morning to the tragic reality of a new long list with names of people who succumbed to Covid 19?
Did you stop and think for a second, there were some days 30-40 new names on those lists, “who was the Chevra Kadisha who did all those taharas?”
Weren’t they afraid?
Was a Tahara at all possible?
Who put their life on the line for Kovod Hameis?
How were so many Niftarim processed in such a short period of time?
It was Chesed Shel Emes volunteers who put their lives on the line.
These dedicated me stood hours on their feet, did taharas back to back 24 hours a day straight for 5-6 weeks, to make sure that every single yid gets a proper Tahara.
“As part of this holy organization, I can personally attest to the excruciating conditions we were faced with during those tumultuous weeks,” says Abi Friedman, a resident of North Miami Beach, Florida who has been a member of Chesed Shel Emes for over 12 years.
“Aside from that, during those weeks, Chesed Shel Emes buried in their own cemetery 38 Meisei Mitzva who had no one else to pay for their burial, bringing the total Meisei of this year alone to 81.”
Just the cost of burying these 81 Meisei Mitzva amounted to almost $300,000!
Chesed Shel Emes is launching a Charidy campaign on Monday and Tuesday, which will conclude on Erev Tisha B’av, to help them cover their astronomical costs.
When you hear about a tragedy you ‘react’, you react with pain, shock, grief, or sorrow.
When Chesed shel Emes fields a call about a tragedy, we don’t ‘react’, we act!
We gather the necessary details and we jump into action!
The following are some of the calls we handle on an ordinary day:
Nursing home: Our patient, a holocaust survivor without family, passed away. Can you deal with it?
Chabad Shliach: A businessman suddenly died in some faraway country, can you help fly his body back home?
Wife: My husband was just niftar. I don’t have the financial means to cover his burial. Can you help?
Hatzalah: We just pronounced a patient at an accident scene. We need a full crew for cleanup.
Neighbor: I haven’t seen my elderly neighbor in awhile. Now I hear he died a few weeks ago and his body is in the city morgue. Help!!
These tragedies keep our volunteers busy around the clock, every day.
“Unfortunately, the work we do is 24/6,” Friedman says. “On a daily basis we are handling delicate and the most painful situations in the human experience, all quietly and unknown to the public.”
Please help Chesed Shel Emes continue their vital work.
Such amazing work!
Abi you are an inspiration, may you and the organization that you lead have continued success!
may we have chayim nitzchiyim and good health for all. Moshiach NOW!
Chazak Veamatz !! but may you never be needed
LUBAVITCH !!!! lets show our power and help one of ours meet the goal!!
Asreinu !!