Judaism has several names for a cemetery; two of them are Beit HaKevarot: a home for burial, and, curiously, Beit HaChaim: a home for the living. How is this place a home for the living? Well look around at all of us who are here today to celebrate Muriel Stolarsky. We are very much alive and each of us, in our own way, uses the memories and the examples she set to inspire and affect how we live our lives; and together we make this cemetery a “home for the living.”
It is an ancient Jewish custom to erect a matzevah—which literally means “monument”—in memory of our relatives who die—a tradition that comes from our Biblical ancestor Jacob, who placed a monument on the grave of his beloved Rachel. Today we come together to dedicate this monument to the memory of Muriel Stolarsky, our beloved great grandmother, grandmother and mother. In recognizing Muriel in this way we create a new memory of coming together, to honor her and support one another. Unveiling Miriam Bat Yechezkel v’Rikvah‘s matzevah is to reveal and disclose how much we miss her and allows us to take stock of what has happened in our own lives since her death.
Download the full PDF of the ritual below.
