The following story is via the National AP wire and is unedited by YWN.
It is headlined “Woman’s funeral had no attendees, so 30 strangers showed up”.
ORANGETOWN, N.Y. – About 30 people have paid their respects to a woman they never met after responding to a call for attendees for a suburban New York funeral at which no one was expected to show up.
The Journal News reports the strangers served as Francine Stein’s pallbearers and also helped bury her during the service Wednesday at a cemetery in Orangetown.
Stein died at the age of 83. Rabbi Elchanan Weinbach officiated the service and says there was no eulogy because he didn’t know anything about the woman. He learned at the cemetery that Stein was a musician and had taught at the Julliard School.
The call for volunteers came on Facebook from Weinbach’s daughter.
One attendee said she came to the service as a simple act of “human decency.”
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
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11 Responses
Baruch Hashem – Such a Kiddush Hashem. 30 People didnt even know her and they took from their time to help give a Jewish woman a proper burial. Great respect to the many volunteers – men and women, and the rabbi who came to perform the services.
For those who claim the internet is Bad, this Mitzvah was a VIRAL mitzvah, meaning someone posted it on FB and people spread it along to others as alot of people felt it was important
There’s a nice article on a local website that I don’t think I’m allowed to mention here. But if you go to google news and search for Francine Stein, you’ll find it.
Kiddush Hashem that people went. Even though I have internet use it allot for business still does more damage than good. Have personal experience ruins lives yiddishkeit etc
Kiddush HaShem. Got me thinking. Can the article alone, as printed above, be a kiddush HaShem if no mention of the fact the respondents were Torah observant Jews?
Will anyone respond “ashreichem u’baruch E-lokeichem” if they don’t know they or their G-d is?
As far as the good/bad nature of the Internet is concerned: Unless one wishes to use the naysayers as an excuse to bash our einei ha’eidah, our manhigim, our Gedolim, Poskim, Rabbonim, and Roshei Yeshiva, one needs to be honest and realize that none of the above have said it is so treif it is not botul in even elef. None of them. They have ALL, on the other hand, said caution, guidelines, guidance, precautions, and filters are necessary. We would not put a minor behind the wheel of a car, or give a loaded gun to an inexperienced, or worse, to a disturbed individual. The same is pashut here as well.
As commendable as this as well as other acts of chesed that have been touted on this web site may be, Yeshivah World should not be congratulating Am Yisroel for doing something that should be a given.
This is who we are and what we do. Every day, all day.
People cant do Chessed if people dont know about it. The word had to get out and get out quickly
I do not think this woman was relgious
What the picture you chose to use doesn’t show is a large part of the attendees were women.
Also part of the more original complete article says that not all of those that attended were frum Jews. The site you copied this article from did not contain that part.
Please, Acheinu, can we stop knocking each other– especially right after the 3 wks?! Yes, Chesed is ‘who we are & what we do…all day…and should be a given’– but the opportunity for THIS Mitzvah is (BH) rare. And the fact that a POSITIVE Jewish story made it to AP News and created a huge Kiddush Hash-m is ANOTHER rare occurrence. Shep Nachas Klal Yisroel, as I am. And I’m sure HKBH is. (No, I’m not related to or friends with any of the involved. This was the first I read of it.)
this is a very heartwarming story. for those who don’t know, in Staten Island there is Hebrew Free Burial Society. They take care of burying Jews who have no money for proper burial, have no family, etc. These people otherwise end up in Potter’s Field or their bodies are cremated. I went to one such levaya where this Jew would have otherwise been cremated. there was a minyan arranged by the Hebrew Free Burial Society (all volunteers) and their rabbi gave a most beautiful explanation of every part of the levaya to the 4 family members and 2 friends who were the only other people there. it was one of the most inspirational and uplifting experiences of my life.
This Society makes one feel extremely lucky to be part of our wonderful Jewish nation – Mi Keamcha Yisroel!
Only praises