Thousands of strangers come to the funeral of a soldier who was kidnapped, tortured and killed because of his Star of David.
I once went to a funeral – a
spring funeral – at the military cemetery in Jerusalem. An Israeli soldier had
been killed. Another name was added to a list, a long list, of Jews who have
given their lives in the past 60 years so that the Jewish State of Israel might
live.
I didn't know this particular soldier, but it didn't matter. He was one of
ours – our children, our soldiers, our sons, our people. His name was Jason.
He had come to Israel alone, from Montreal, and had joined the Israel Defense Force. Now his parents, stunned, bewildered, jet lagged, disoriented, had hurriedly come to join him one last time – for his funeral.
The mother who brought forth a child from her womb would now return him to the womb of the earth. The father who dreamed of escorting his son to the marriage canopy, now followed him to the grave.
He was so young, their son. Old enough to be a soldier; old enough to have made aliyah, but barely finished with the business of being a boy. He thought he was returning to his ancient homeland to begin a new life. How could he know he was coming home to end his short sojourn in this world?
So thousands of strangers came in their place. They did not know Jason personally, but they claimed him as their own, perhaps because he had come to them alone. Like our father Abraham, Jason had left the safe and familiar to follow his God and to join his people in the Promised Land.
He wore their khaki uniform and stood side by side with his brothers and sisters, willing to endanger his life and, if need be, make the ultimate sacrifice for their welfare. In ancient Egypt, Pharaoh had buried Jewish infants in the walls and monuments memorializing Egypt's dead. Now, Jewish soldiers stood shoulder to shoulder, forming a living wall to protect Jewish children and keep them alive. Jason stood with them.
He was kidnapped, tortured and killed because of a khaki uniform, a blue and white flag, a Star of David. Because "in every generation, they rise up against us to destroy us." Because he was a glowing, living stone in our protective wall. Because he was a son of Abraham, a son of the covenant, a Jew in a Jewish land.
His parents spent 20 years or so raising him – through fevers and vaccinations and summer vacations and birthday parties and worries and hopes – many, many hopes. They were all laid to rest on that gray, spring afternoon in the Holy City of Jerusalem.
Communal Sigh
I was swept along in the sea of silent marchers. They edged silently forward, crunching the gravel of well-tended paths beneath their feet. The air was heavy with silence and sighs. All along the paths they sighed. Old people and young. Thousands and thousands of them, parents carrying babies, students holding books, soldiers toting guns.
Was the gaping hole a wound in the heart of the land? Or had the land opened its heart to embrace yet another son and gather in his war-torn body as his soul journeyed onward?
No one spoke. There were no words. Only heavy, heart-weary sighs.
The almond trees were in bloom. Frothy-white blossoms covered the mountaintop like spring brides hovering over still, sleeping grooms. Life and death mingled like old friends at a party. For some, life in all its turbulence would, meanwhile, go on. For others, time was forever stilled. The exact date was etched on stone.
Even the birds were still that day. Hundreds of trees grace Mount Herzl and thousands of birds daily fill the mountainside with their music. But that day all were strangely mute. Suddenly, one lonely songbird pierced the wall of silence with a stunning serenade.
"Do not despair! This is not the end! A soul has returned to his Maker, but there is still work waiting to be done, worlds to be built, songs to be sung. The world is alive with the promise of spring. God wills that life go on!"
Jason was no more, but Am Yisrael Chai – his people are alive.
The crowd listened to the Kaddish prayer and said a hushed, muted "Amen." Then sighed.
Cry in Peace
It is not easy to carry the burden of the Land of Israel. It is no simple matter to be deserving of this ancient, holy, demanding Homeland. For the Wandering Jew, even a small plot of land, just big enough to hold a military coffin, comes with a steep price. Even when the land is ours.
The cemetery is peaceful, quiet, very beautiful. The mountain is terraced with waves of neatly tended, low, square stones, each one lovingly landscaped and decorated, bordered with bright flowers and green plants. Each stone is carefully lettered with a name, parents' names, date of birth, place of birth, date of death. The letters are silent, but the stones cry – for those who died so that after two thousand years, the Jewish people might finally live – in peace – in their own Promised Land.
It begins to rain. Even in heaven, the tears will flow.
He had come to Israel alone, from Montreal, and had joined the Israel Defense Force. Now his parents, stunned, bewildered, jet lagged, disoriented, had hurriedly come to join him one last time – for his funeral.
The mother who brought forth a child from her womb would now return him to the womb of the earth. The father who dreamed of escorting his son to the marriage canopy, now followed him to the grave.
He was so young, their son. Old enough to be a soldier; old enough to have made aliyah, but barely finished with the business of being a boy. He thought he was returning to his ancient homeland to begin a new life. How could he know he was coming home to end his short sojourn in this world?
The funeral should have been a week earlier, but it took four or five days to find his body.The funeral should have been a week earlier, but it took four or five days to find his body. You see, Jason had been kidnapped and then brutally slaughtered by terrorists. Then a huge snow storm in Canada grounded all planes. No one knew if his parents would arrive on time.
So thousands of strangers came in their place. They did not know Jason personally, but they claimed him as their own, perhaps because he had come to them alone. Like our father Abraham, Jason had left the safe and familiar to follow his God and to join his people in the Promised Land.
He wore their khaki uniform and stood side by side with his brothers and sisters, willing to endanger his life and, if need be, make the ultimate sacrifice for their welfare. In ancient Egypt, Pharaoh had buried Jewish infants in the walls and monuments memorializing Egypt's dead. Now, Jewish soldiers stood shoulder to shoulder, forming a living wall to protect Jewish children and keep them alive. Jason stood with them.
He was kidnapped, tortured and killed because of a khaki uniform, a blue and white flag, a Star of David. Because "in every generation, they rise up against us to destroy us." Because he was a glowing, living stone in our protective wall. Because he was a son of Abraham, a son of the covenant, a Jew in a Jewish land.
His parents spent 20 years or so raising him – through fevers and vaccinations and summer vacations and birthday parties and worries and hopes – many, many hopes. They were all laid to rest on that gray, spring afternoon in the Holy City of Jerusalem.
Communal Sigh
I was swept along in the sea of silent marchers. They edged silently forward, crunching the gravel of well-tended paths beneath their feet. The air was heavy with silence and sighs. All along the paths they sighed. Old people and young. Thousands and thousands of them, parents carrying babies, students holding books, soldiers toting guns.
They stopped before the freshly dug gravesite and the sweeping, communal sigh was heard again.They stopped before the freshly dug gravesite and the sweeping, communal sigh was heard again. They huddled together, each one alone, before that awful gap in the ground. The earth lay open and exposed, its surface turned back like flaps of skin on a human chest, ready for surgery.
Was the gaping hole a wound in the heart of the land? Or had the land opened its heart to embrace yet another son and gather in his war-torn body as his soul journeyed onward?
No one spoke. There were no words. Only heavy, heart-weary sighs.
The almond trees were in bloom. Frothy-white blossoms covered the mountaintop like spring brides hovering over still, sleeping grooms. Life and death mingled like old friends at a party. For some, life in all its turbulence would, meanwhile, go on. For others, time was forever stilled. The exact date was etched on stone.
Even the birds were still that day. Hundreds of trees grace Mount Herzl and thousands of birds daily fill the mountainside with their music. But that day all were strangely mute. Suddenly, one lonely songbird pierced the wall of silence with a stunning serenade.
"Do not despair! This is not the end! A soul has returned to his Maker, but there is still work waiting to be done, worlds to be built, songs to be sung. The world is alive with the promise of spring. God wills that life go on!"
Jason was no more, but Am Yisrael Chai – his people are alive.
The crowd listened to the Kaddish prayer and said a hushed, muted "Amen." Then sighed.
Cry in Peace
It is not easy to carry the burden of the Land of Israel. It is no simple matter to be deserving of this ancient, holy, demanding Homeland. For the Wandering Jew, even a small plot of land, just big enough to hold a military coffin, comes with a steep price. Even when the land is ours.
The cemetery is peaceful, quiet, very beautiful. The mountain is terraced with waves of neatly tended, low, square stones, each one lovingly landscaped and decorated, bordered with bright flowers and green plants. Each stone is carefully lettered with a name, parents' names, date of birth, place of birth, date of death. The letters are silent, but the stones cry – for those who died so that after two thousand years, the Jewish people might finally live – in peace – in their own Promised Land.
Those who lie here have a right to this exclusive piece of holy land.Those who lie here have a right to this lovely hill, this exclusive piece of land overlooking the Holy City of Jerusalem. They have paid for it with precious life's blood. And we have a right to our Promised Land. But there is a price, even for a promise. When, I wonder, will the price be paid in full? My eyes wander across the seemingly endless rows of stones. They fill with tears.
It begins to rain. Even in heaven, the tears will flow.
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