Elderly Jew’s Body Found, Saved from Cremation

About two weeks ago, an elderly Jew disappeared in Moscow. The man’s son, a resident of the U.S., contacted Russia’s chief rabbi Berel Lazar for assistance.

After Rabbi Lazar made a few phone calls, the Moscow Chesed Center, along with the Russian chapter of Zaka and other organizations, mobilized a massive search effort, which culminated in the discovery of the man’s body at a hospital in a small city near Moscow.

It was discovered that the man had traveled to the nearby city without notifying anyone, and had fallen down and injured himself while there. His unconscious body was discovered and brought to the hospital, where he passed away a few days later.

Unable to identify him, the hospital began making preparations to have the body cremated.

When the son was informed that his father had passed away and his body had been found, he immediately traveled to Moscow. Yesterday, Sunday, a proper funeral and burial according to Jewish law were held for the deceased man, where the son recited Kadish for his father with tears in his eyes.