AT THE CEMETERY

At the Cemetery

By David Verveer

Here I am sitting in front of the Cemetery were my son in law was buried. He died from Cancer, 11 years ago, and because his parents live in Haifa, he was buried there. Every year they (his parents) arrange a memorial service, in which my grandson has an important function, as the first born son of his generation. My daughter generally participates, but this year she did not feel very well, thus I had to volunteer as driver / grandfather. No problem, but due to the fact that I belong to the Priest tribe (descendant from Aharon, the priest and brother of Moses), I am not allowed to enter a cemetery; the reason for this was to keep the cohanim (priests) pure as they were serving in the temple. Of course ,there is today no temple, but religious people insist on keeping to the original customs and rules, which of course I obey, as this kind of ceremonies are for the living and not for the death.

His family came from Morocco, and the father is an observant Jew, prays regularly and keeps to the Jewish rites, and who are we to stop him, thus I sit and write this on my new mobile mini computer (ASUS EEE PC), outside the Cemetery, situated on the slope of the Carmel Mountain, not far from the coast. This Cemetery (also called "Khayat Beach" is extremely old and huge, serving the Haifa population for the last two hundred years, including war graves (British) from the first world war, an Arab graveyard, and a graveyard for non Jewish death, as in our silly country, even in death we separate, but again, these are the facts of live.

As incineration of the death is not allowed in the Jewish religion, and burial space is limited, they are now burying on different levels, with the clear understanding that in a time space of 50 to 100 years, there are no relatives left to visit their departed relatives.

After the ceremony, at the entrance of the grave-yard, the family brings food and drinks (in this part, I do participate), and then everybody goes home, until next year.

And I think, I hear them coming back from the ceremony, thus I have to finish my file, such is life and death!