SPONSORED FEATURE
ON A SERIOUS
NOTE…
from home, and in pain, they see clearly
what is made conspicuous by its absence.
I BY MICHAEL SIEFF, CHEV GROUP CEO
ONE OF A KIND
PHOTOGRAPHS: SUPPLIED
Calling something ‘one of a kind’ is possibly the highest praise one can offer. This
great accolade signifies originality and authenticity and suggests qualities that are
both rare and genuine. I believe our community is one of a kind for having created
a Chevrah Kadisha that reflects universal
uniqueness in not one, but so many,
ways. I recognise, with admiration and
humility, the calibre of a community that
had the insight, foresight and compassion
to establish this inspired structure from
the get-go, 127 years ago, and the will to
sustain and expand it to become what we
are blessed to have today.
One of a kind vision and purpose: On a
trip to Israel, I was walking with my young
son through the streets of Jerusalem
where, sadly, there are so many people asking for tzedakah. He was troubled by what
he saw and turned to me and said, “They
should have a Chevrah Kadisha here.”
We take our commitment to keep the
streets of Gauteng free of Jewish beggars
very seriously, and go to great lengths to
provide for each individual according to
his or her need. No Jew should be left destitute with nowhere to turn for help. Our
goal is always focused on rehabilitation at
every level and reunification of families
where children are concerned. Our policy
is that those who can afford to pay for
Chev services, like accommodation and
burial, are expected to do so. Those who
are destitute are cared for anyway – with
dignity and the best we can offer.
One of a kind address: From people
who have been helped to those who help
others through the Chev services, I have
often heard it said that, “there is nothing
like the Chev anywhere else in the world”.
And it’s true. The Chev is a one-stop address for any Jew in need of any kind of
help. Think for a moment, as I often do,
what it means for a community to offer a
single door through which a vast range of
help is available. Whatever kind of assistance is needed is certain to be in there
somewhere, through that single entrance,
at that one address. Maybe, G-d forbid,
the need is for our burial services, or perhaps accommodation in any of our facilities – aged, mental health or intellectual
disability. Perhaps the person is in search
of financial assistance, protected employment or care for a parent suffering with
dementia. How about someone facing depression, divorce or addiction? Through
that one door you’ll find experienced
counsellors, support groups, guidance
and hope. Everyone knows that if you’re
in trouble, you come to the Chev. And if
you are able to help those in trouble, you
come to the Chev too – to give. The thing
is, you come to the Chev because there is
one address, and everyone knows it.
That’s why, when South Africans are away
One of a kind burial services: Do you
know that ours is the only Chevrah Kadisha in the world that takes responsibility
for the living as well as the departed? Every other Chevrah Kadisha (literally, holy
society) confines its efforts to dealing with
the departed, but 85% of our work focuses
on caring for the living. That alone makes
us unique, but there’s more. Every Jew in
Johannesburg is buried in exactly the
same way, from paupers to princes and
everyone in between. What’s important is
that every funeral is conducted according
to halacha, with the identical coffin and
tahara. We never demand payment upfront before a funeral, as is the practice in
most countries. For us, accustomed to
higher standards of kindness and consideration at a difficult and painful time, this
is unthinkable. First, we do what must be
done with equal dignity fo ȁ