Baba's Grave

I went to the old Jerusalem neighborhood of Sharei Chesed to meet my relative Yitzchok Zusman. His mother Shosha and my grandmother Esther Feigel were sisters. During the 14 years that I'd been away from Israel, Yitchok's wife Tova died. I had always enjoyed visiting them in their old home made of Jerusalem stone, and Tova would always have big trays of baked goods in the oven, which she'd pull out and then set little plates of homebaked cakes and cookies - rugelach, bourekas, and more. We'd sit together and drink "cos cafe v'oogah" - coffee and cake. I thought I would experience that again and see her once again, but I was saddened to learn she died during the 14 years that I was away from Israel. I was just about to write to her when I got the news. :(

I went with Yitzchok to Baba's grave in a taxi driven by an Arab cab driver, on the day that the Palestinians were supposed to declare their independance - I think it was September 13, 2000. A few weeks later the Palestinian Intifada was to start. Had I waited a few weeks, it probably would not have been safe to go up to the Mt. of Olives.

During my visit to Yeshiva Meah Shearim the same week, I learned that her 1988 funeral procession started at Yeshiva Meah Shearim in Meah Shearim and went up to the Mt. of Olives.

When I got out of the taxi on Mt. of Olives with Yitchok, I took time to look around, get my bearings and take in the whereabouts and the general landmarks, so that I could remember and go again on my own in the future. Baba's grave is located on Mt. of Olives, opposite the Arab village of Ras El-Amud. Much of the path around the grave or up the mountain is not well paved amd even quite rocky and broken down.

Yitzchok said Jewish prayers while at the gravesite. His mother Shosha and his grandmother Golde (my grandmother's mother), as well as other relatives are buried nearby. I am the first immediate family member, and the first and only of her 6 grandchildren to go to her grave since she was buried in 1988, when my Uncle Label, her son, took her body there after she died. My Uncle Label did not go back to Israel in the years before he died in 2000.

A little Arab boy came over and offered to clean the grave. The gravestone is brownish from layers of Jerusalem dust, but if you run your finger through the dust on the gravestone, then what you see below is actually white stone. Notice the streak in the dust on the grave on the lower right edge of the gravestone - that is where the Arab boy gave us a demo of his cleaning ability.

My relative Yitchok translated much of what was written on her grave. Unfortunately, I didn't write down everything he said, but she is called a 'a woman of valor' and the text was about her accomplishments and contributions to Yeshiva Meah Shearim. If you can translate the whole or parts of the inscription into English, please e-mail me by clicking on the letter box below.

We climbed down Mt. of Olives and the taxi driver was waiting for us. We drove back to Central Jerusalem and had a memorable lunch at a Jerusalem hotel, with one of my other Israeli relatives, Rachel Zusman. Rachel was married to Elchonen, one of Yitzchok's brothers, who died in 1991 of cancer. Sadly, in the 14 years that I did not go to Israel, most of my grandmother's nieces and nephews in Jerusalem died. Rachel has since passed away in 2009 from cancer.

I'm very glad I made this visit.