SHOSHANAH SHEAR

Appreciation to Rabbi Moshe

Silberhaft – The Travelling Rabbi

 
Shoshanah Shear of Beitar Illit, Israel, writes

I lost my father as a teenager, making me an orphan at a young age. He was buried in the Jewish cemetery in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Since his death, I have had only one opportunity to visit his grave.

In the same cemetery where he is buried, my paternal grandfather is buried too. I grew up knowing only his name – the same as my father’s. Some years ago, I discovered that many graves of the Jewish cemeteries in Zimbabwe are now available online. Viewing his gravestone online allowed me to have what ever little connection I could have with him come alive. He was only 35 years old when he died, “a beautiful life cut short.”

RIGHT: Travelling Rabbi Moshe Silberhaft looks after SA country communities and Jews in a myriad of sub-Saharan countries

After the recent loss of my maternal grandfather and having read his memoirs of some 96 full years,

I found myself wanting to “reconnect” with my late father and paternal grandfather.
 
I considered the length of their lives – the brevity of my two father figures and it encouraged me to want to reach out to value who they were and what they did achieve in their short life, and what they possibly could have achieved had they too lived so much longer.

Found him on Facebook

I wondered how I could have some prayers recited at their graves or better yet, even have a letter of mine read out or left near the grave – my only “tangible” way of making some connection with them again. I thought this was an impossible wish but suddenly noticed on my Facebook page a link pop up advertising “The Travelling Rabbi’s” page. I was not sure what areas he travelled to, but decided to make contact and ask if he knew someone in Bulawayo who would be prepared to visit my father’s and grandfather’s graves.

LEFT: Rabbi Silberhaft is the author, with Suzanne Belling, of a best-selling book on his travels and travails

Rabbi Silberhaft replied immediately. Not only did he know someone, but he himself would go on my behalf. Over the next few weeks Rabbi Silberhaft provided the most special guidance and support that I really never expected.

Not only was he prepared to recite Tehillim at these gravesides, but he agreed to take a letter to each. He was in fact prepared to read the letters on my behalf – but after having written so much of my personal story,
 
I asked him if he would simply leave the letters on the graves while he read Tehillim. Thereafter he would burn them.

His guidance was invaluable to me

He guided me as to what would be appropriate to include in a letter to a deceased parent / grandparent and the best way to use this to obtain the closure for myself that I needed. Rabbi Silberhaft offered kind words of encouragement and support, answering questions or just wishing me Shabbat Shalom.

Through connecting with Rabbi Silberhaft and seeing his posts of the communities he visits, he has enabled me to have some family history come alive, as both my families had a role to play in pioneers in various areas Rabbi Silberhaft travels too.

Finally, I received a message from Rabbi Silberhaft indicating the day and time he would be at my late father’s and grandfather’s graves and a suggestion to me to recite Tehillim at the same time if possible. By pure “coincidence” (aka Hashgacha Pratit – Divine Providence,) the day he messaged me to confirm final details, I reached the same age to the day that my late father had been when he left this world. Just a few days later, Rabbi Silberhaft not only carried out all he had agreed to, but also took the trouble to take photographs and send them to me.

RIGHT: Rabbi Silberhaft is a past winner
of a JEWISH REPORT ACHIEVERS AWARD

Such care, kindness and consideration I honestly never expected. I had hoped that Rabbi Silberhaft could find anyone to assist me with this, but received the honour from the Rabbi himself.

It was so much more special to have had the guidance, wisdom and kindness from a rabbi who is obviously both knowledgeable and sincere.

Words cannot truly describe the gratitude I feel for the kindness shown or the impact of this process in bringing closure to me, and enabling me to express the thoughts I had so often wanted to express to my late father, and to the grandfather neither I nor my father had ever met. Aside from discovering a very kind rabbi, I discovered once more the very powerful impact of the importance of proper Jewish burial in accordance with Torah Halachah. Thanks to my late father and grandfather being buried in a Jewish cemetery, I have been able to discover information I otherwise had no way to know, and to form a connection beyond the scope of visible relationships.

I feel humbled from the experience and deeply grateful to know that those of us who have come from communities that are dwindling, have such a special rabbi visiting, monitoring and taking care of these outside areas. I feel it is important that we recognise with great pride the type of rabbi we have who is attending to the needs of all the outlying communities in South Africa and the outlying areas close to SA.

Thank you Rabbi Silberhaft for this especially kind deed, which has left such an impression upon me.