On Friday, 4/16/2021, something very special happened. 

More than twenty people took off their busy schedule to show love to someone they had never met.

It all began a few days ago, when I was informed of the death of a Jewish man in our area. He had no family nearby, and I was asked if Chabad of Hackensack could help arrange a funeral. 

"Of course" I replied. "This is exactly what Chabad is here for!" 

After coordinating the arrangement with the funeral home, and ensuring a Tahara would be performed (click here to learn more about this important Mitzvah), I asked the funeral director how many people will be attending the funeral.

The answer saddened me.

"Only you and me. No one else is attending".

There is a great Mitzvah to have a Minyan at burial, and the task seemed impossible to accomplish on a Friday afternoon. Nevertheless, I posted on our Whatsapp group, social media and the teaneckshuls email group, asking people if they could help us with the Minyan.

Yesterday, when I entered Mount Moriah Cemetery, I was so pleasantly surprised to see several people waiting.  Within a few minutes, more people arrived. More than twenty people came to show love and respect to someone they never met!

I heard the cemetery worker ask the funeral director, "You told me that no one would come!?" and the funeral director replied, "Yes, I didn't expect anyone to be here."
This was what I shared during the funeral:

"Usually, at a funeral, a family member or friend is eulogizing and sharing anecdotes about the virtue of the deceased. None of us here today knew him, so I can't share anything about his life. But I can share with you his greatest virtue: he belongs to the Jewish people, and despite the fact that we have never met him, all of us are his brothers and sisters.

"This time of year is known as a period of mourning after the death of 24,000 disciples of Rabbi Akiva. They died because they did not respect each other. Here today, we show the ultimate respect, love and care to our fellow. I am sure that G-D looks at us and has a lot of Nachas. "

May the memory of Avraham Ben Yosef be a blessing.