By COLlive reporter
Photos: Levi Nazarov
After close to 10 years of developing and investing in the area, the new Jewish cemetery of Moscow was inaugurated in the southern Vastrikovsky neighborhood, not far from the old Jewish cemetery that has already been filled to full capacity and in which each plot costs a small fortune.
The new cemetery was built by Moscow’s municipality, with care and sensitivity to the needs of the Jewish Community.
President of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Russia, Rabbi Alexander Boroda invested great efforts in this endeavor, while Chief Rabbi of Russia Berel Lazar oversaw the halachic details of this project.
Upon completion of construction, there is infrastructure for five thousand graves with easy and dignified access to them.
The large edifice at the entrance to the cemetery includes special rooms for the Tahara process according to the halachic standards and customs of the Moscow Chevra Kadisha, as well as rooms for the mourners and attendees at the funeral processions. Everything was built with great care to enable full separation in the hall, and allow all ceremonies to be done in a most respectful and dignified manner.
On Thursday, the seventh of Adar – which is the birthday and yartzeit of Moshe Rabbeinu, the Chevra Kadisha of Moscow gathered for an uplifting ceremony at the cemetery. Tehilim was recited, hakafos were done around the cemetery’s perimeter, and the shofar was blown as is the custom in Jewish communities that was passed down from generation to generation.
Rabbi Yaakov Rozhe, Rabbi of the ZAKA rescue organization and of the Tel Aviv-Yaffo Chevra Kadisha sent a letter with the precise instructions.
Later that day, the funeral of an elderly Jew from the Marina Roscha shul took place there. He had passed away the day before and merited a proper Jewish burial in the new cemetery, with a eulogy by Rabbi Lazar.
After the funeral, the attendees were invited to break their fast and say L’chaim. They all thanked Hashem for the great zchus of doing “chesed shel emes” and davened that very soon we will know of no more death, with the Geula that will come speedily in our days.
Usually you only make one brocho for the entire building. Or is this is not the case when different people are putting up the mezuzos.
Its Chodesh Adar ….. let the new designated area be used for wedding.
I hope it stays empty and never has to be used
I think number 1’s heart was in the right place but yes, the institution should be put out of business, so to speak, with the coming of Moshiach and techiyas hameisim!
On that note, I heard a story once when someone who was in charge of a chevra kadisha came by the Rebbe. Instinctively, the man asked the Rebbe for a bracha for parnasa. The Rebbe replied “I can’t do that”. 🙂
and we will all have chayim nitzchiyim
amen
A beis hakvaros should be something with no hatzlocho since…
Amazing, to have a wonderful inauguration and to be able to go straight into doing mitzvahs with the place and putting it to good use.
They should have continued hatzlacha!