Grand Lodge
Knights of Pythias
Domain of Quebec

PYTHIAN CEMETERY

September 12, 2021
A virtual memorial where
we gathered to remember our loved ones!

A Prayer to Say When You Cannot Go to the Grave – Rabbi Janet Madden

We were so fortunate this year to have as our guest speaker Rabbi Dr. Simcha Raphael Paull, director of the DAAT Institute in Philadelphia, PA.  He explained to us the Mitzvah of visiting a loved ones grave during this high holiday period.  He combined all his knowledge as a Rabbi plus as a councilor with an excellent Power Point presentation.  This made for an extremely thoughtful and interesting presentation.

         

Next on the program,  we welcomed Past President of the Cemetery Association, Michael Berman, who read this moving poem.

We Remember Them

At the rising sun and at its going down; We remember them.

At the blowing of the wind and in the chill of winter; We remember them.

At the opening of the buds and in the rebirth of spring; We remember them.

At the blueness of the skies and in the warmth of summer; We remember them.

At the rustling of the leaves and in the beauty of the autumn; We remember them.

At the beginning of the year and when it ends; We remember them.


As long as we live, they too will live, for they are now a part of us as   We remember them.


When we are weary and in need of strength; We remember them.

When we are lost and sick at heart; We remember them.

When we have decisions that are difficult to make; We remember them.

When we have joy we crave to share; We remember them.

When we have achievements that are based on theirs; We remember them.

For as long as we live, they too will live, for they are now a part of us as, We remember them.

After Secretary/Treasurer John Derrick read Psalm 23, he read a list of Pythian family and friends that we wished to remember:

ESTA AND MAX ANSKY and HEATHER ANSKY
BROTHER DAVID ARONOVITCH   
BROTHER MITCH BYER
SAYRA AND ABE BOXERMAN
CYNTHIA AND BROTHER MARTY COHEN   
BROTHER MARVIN COHEN 
BRENDA AND BROTHER SAUL DERRICK
BROTHER GEORGE GOLBERG, TREASURER EMERITUS, GRAND LODGE
JOANNE (YONINA) GOLDAPPLE
SHARON GOODMAN   
LOTTIE AND BROTHER SAM HOSAT
BROTHER SIR MICHAEL KUTZ   
BROTHER SIR CECIL LABOW
SHIRLEY AND BROTHER LAZER LUXENBOURG
LINDA AND BROTHER NORMAN MAIRISAINE
ELIJAH PAULL
ROSE AND BROTHER HAROLD PAULL
ERICA ORENBACH  
BROTHER IVOR SCHWARTZ
BROTHER IRVING SEGAL   
BROTHER ALBERT SHRIER
SARAH AND DR. DAVID GERSON TASSY SINGERMAN
BROTHER SIR SAM SHRIVER
BROTHER SIR GERALD WEINSTEIN   
BROTHER ROBERT WEISER
YETTA AND BROTHER ARTHUR TABAC

Following this Dr. Simcah recited the traditional memorial prayer EL MOLOH RACHAMIN in Hebrew, followed by Board of Director Member Eric Goldapple reading this English translation:

    O G-d, full of mercy, Who dwells on high, grant proper rest on the wings of the Divine Presence – in the lofty levels of the holy and the pure ones, who shine like the glow of the firmament – for the souls of our Pythian family who went on to his world, because they will contribute to charity in remembrance of his soul. May his resting place be in the garden of Eden – therefore may the Master of Mercy shelter him in the shelter of His wings for eternity, and may He bind his soul in the Bond of Life. HASHEM is his heritage, and may he repose in peace on his resting place. Now let us all respond: Amen.

As always I am so pleased to invite Brother Arthur K. Newman to lead us the Kaddish Memorial Prayer.

We ended the ceremony with Rabbi Simcha blowing the shofar.

Located in the city of Laval, just a short drive from Montreal, is our Pythian Cemetery. The Association invites Jewish members of the Knights Of Pythias of Quebec that are in good standing to join our cemetery association, and to reserve a single or double plot. The fees are extremely reasonable. The Cemetery is run according to strict Orthodox Jewish laws and is recognized as such by the Orthodox Jewish Rabbinate of Montreal.

Every year, around the Yom Toviem, we  have the honour of welcoming members to our Memorial Service.  This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our Memorial was on Line.  Our Cemetery Secretary had the opportunity to speak to those assembled.  Below is a copy of his welcoming speech delivered on Zoom.

 The Yizkor prayer, the prayer of Remembrance, is recited four times a year.

May G-d remember the soul of our Pythian members, family and friends:


who have gone to his [supernal] world, because I will — without obligating myself with a vow — donate charity for their sake.  In this merit, may their souls be bound up in the bond of life with the souls of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah, and with the other righteous men and women who are in Gan Eden; and let us say, Amen.

Dear family and friends.

2020 is a very strange year, one what we, our children and grandchildren will soon not forget.  But even in this very worst of times, we  will not lose our hope or our faith as we  look forward to normal times.

It is said that during these 10 days of awe, G-d will open his accounting books that will determine the faith of the Jewish people.  On Yom Kippur He will close these ledgers and seal the faith of each individual.  There are three ways that one can change this verdict, through performance of these three important duties for Jews to perform, Tefilia, (prayer) Tsuvah (Repentance) and Tzadah (Charity). 

The customs of remembering the souls of the departed and contributing to charity in their memory is part of the Jewish belief in the eternity of the soul.  When physical life ends, only the body dies, but the soul lifts up to the heavens where it gains higher levels of purity and holiness.

When this life is over, the soul can no longer perform good deeds; only mortal man and women can do such a deed.

But there is a way that the departed soul can continue to do good deeds.  If we, the living, give charity or do good deeds in memory of a loved one, God in His mercy credits the deeds we do, the charity we collect to the soul of our beloved departed.

In many ways these deeds truly reflect the work and deeds of our Knights of Pythias Order.  Through our Pythian Motto of Friendship, Charity and Benevolence, we fulfill the many Mitzvahs of the High Holidays.  Through the year we collected money for many worthy charitable causes.  We do good deeds by bringing a bit of entertainment and help to patients of many Montreal hospital and institutions .  These good deeds are not done only at this time of the year, but throughout the entire year.  Our Pythian Cemetery leaders, people like Marvin Goodman, Michael Berman, Sir James Indig, Calvin Finkelstein, Eric Goldapple, just to mention a few names, devote many hours to serve in our Montreal, Jewish Community.

The Yom Kippur customs of pledging to charity on behalf of the departed and of praying for their Souls are recorded in the Code of Jewish Law.  It is explained that the proper name of the day Yom Hakippurim is in the plural, because there are indeed two mitzvahs - one for the living and one for the dead.  Consequently, it is important upon the living to seek ways to bring spiritual benefits upon their loved ones.

There are other reasons, too, for remembering our loved one at this holiest of holy season.  We remember our departed loved ones as a method for our repentance, because the reminder that life is fleeting helps to make us humble.  An opposite point of view is that we invoke the memory of our loved ones so that their memory will act on our behalf before the Heavenly Court.

But please don’t cry of feel bad about our departed loved one, as it was written in a  poem which will be read by our Past President Michael Berman.

Don't cry for me now I have died, for I'm still here I'm by your side,
My body's gone but my soul's is here, please don't shed another tear,
I am still here I'm all around, only my body lies in the ground.
I am the snowflake that kisses your nose,
I am the frost, that nips your toes.
I am the sun, bringing you light,
I am the star, shining so bright.
I am the rain, refreshing the earth,
I am the laughter, I am the mirth.
I am the bird, up in the sky,
I am the cloud, that's drifting by.
I am the thoughts, inside your head,
While I'm still there, I can't be dead.

On behalf of our Grand Lodge executive and the executive of the Cemetery Association, I would like to wish everyone here a very happy and healthy New Year, and that we may all be inscribed in the book of life, and be here next year.  May we be together next year, healthy and safe.

Shanna Tova.

Pythian (Quebec) Cemetery Association
Executive, 2020-2022