by Natalie Zellat Dyen (Huntington Valley, PA)
Last year I searched for my grandfather’s grave at Har Jehuda Cemetery.
Nathan Weisbord.
Section C25, row 2, location 47.
But couldn’t find him.
Once, I was able to run my hand over Hebrew letters incised into the stone.
Once I was able trace the date of his death from the Spanish flu: October 1918.
But now he is twice buried.
This time in a jungle of tangled weeds and branches.
Buried by neglect that afflicts old Jewish cemeteries like this one.
Cemeteries passed down to owners unwilling or unable to maintain what was entrusted to them.
We are the caretakers of our ancestors.
Responsible for remembering them and reciting their names.
It’s not easy for many of us to find our roots.
Nature unchecked reclaims its own.
Paths to our history are blocked by twisted roots.
And burned records.
And toppled gravestones.
And the rubble of cemeteries in the old country.
The last time I visited Har Jehuda I was a volunteer.
One of many warriors, armed with rakes, hedge trimmers, and bare hands.
Working to clear the paths, section by section.
We have not yet reached my grandfather’s grave.
But we are persistent.
We Jews.
That’s how we survive.
I had hoped to accomplish much as a volunteer.
Bus alas, my ability to twist and bend
Had gone the way of my youth.
So I sat down and continued weeding and trimming on the ground.
But when it was time to leave, I found myself stuck.
Lacking the strength to get back on my feet.
So I wrapped my arms around the nearest gravestone.
A monument to man named Joseph Feingold
Who died in 1948.
And he helped to lift me to my feet.
As Jews, we are responsible for each other in life and in death.
And as I honor my ancestors, they will continue to lift me.
Natalie Zellat Dyen began writing humor pieces and essays for newspapers while working as a technical writer. Since turning to fiction, her work has appeared in a number of publications including, Philadelphia Stories, The MacGuffin, the Schuylkill Valley Journal, Willow Review, Alternative Truths: Endgame, Jewish Writing Project, Damselfly, CERASUS Magazine, Every Day Fiction, and Neshaminy: The Bucks County Historical and Literary Journal. Her short story collection, Finding Her Voice, was published in 2019. Her debut novel, Locked in Silence, a work of historical fiction, will be released on February 1, 2024.
To learn more about Natalie and her work, visit her website: www.nataliewrites.com.
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