Lubavitch Restoration Project Restores and Repairs Kevorim at Old Montefiore Cemetery
Thousands of Lubavitcher kevorim at Old Montefiore Cemetery have been repaired, restored and beautified, thanks to an extensive project quietly taking place.
The project, sponsored and arranged by a group of Lubavitch businessman, is spearheaded by R’ Shaya Gordon. They have undertaken to visit every Lubavitcher grave scattered across fourteen plots in the large cemetery, and repair or beautify each one as needed.
Gordon says the idea came up during a visit to the Rebbe’s Ohel, located in the same cemetery.
“Besides for visiting the Ohel, I also visit the kevorim of relatives and friends nearby, and I noticed that many graves had overgrown weeds, matzeivos that are sunken in to the ground and I have even noticed mateivos that fell over and remain that way for extended periods of time,” he said.
On one of his visits, he noticed that all of the graves in the plot surrounding the Rebbe’s Ohel had been tended to, with matzeivos straightened, weeds removed, and fresh sand spread.
“I asked Rabbi Abba Refson what had happened, and he explained that a donor had sponsored the work on over 100 kevorim in the Rebbe’s daled amos,” he said.
Hearing that gave him the idea to extend the project to every Lubavitcher kever across the entire cemetery.
“Every kever deserves to be clean, neat and respectable. Unfortunately, the high costs of upkeep had many of the kevorim looking far from that,” he said.
After he rallied the support of a number of businessmen from the worldwide Chabad community, he contacted R’ Shimon Goldberg, a member of the Lubavitch Chevra Kadisha, who had been fixing and cleaning Kevorim for those that can afford the cost in the cemetery for some time. Once they received permission from the Lubavich Chevra Kadisha and Agudas Chasidei Chabad, the project took off.
The project budget to date is over forty thousand dollars, according to Gordon, with even the simplest facelift costing a few hundred dollars.
Each grave was tended to according to its needs. Some only needed weeds trimmed and a wash, others required the bed to be removed and the dirt refilled, while others needed the matzeiva straightened and many other types of repairs. Each received a fresh layer of white stones, and a special product was spread to help stop weeds from growing around the plots.
“We are making sure to reach every Lubavitcher grave, including those that aren’t buried in the fourteen Lubavitcher chelkos,” he said.
Thirteen chelkos and many individual graves have already been tended to, with work underway on the fourteenth chelka as well. The project also served as an impetus for others to tend to their family member’s kevorim and even pay to fix complete strangers, making the project’s reach extend even further.
Yet, despite all the time, effort and money invested, the group of businessmen is hoping that the impact from the project will be a short-lived one with the coming of Mashiach.
The following videos and images are of all Matzeivos repaired and restored, including those paid for directly by the families.
End zone
When my father passed away almost 3 years ago the cemetery changed an extra 3,000 for perpetual care , sure enough about year later my fathers grave looked like it was buried in a forest when we asked we’re is the perpetual care we were told it’s COVID , did not know you can get COVID from people who have passed on , and who passed way before COVID , I’m on hold waiting to to talk to fauuci about
End zone
While I applaud mr Gordon for his efforts the cemetery should be doing this and people should get on the horn and call them if you do there job for them , they will do less and charge more unfortunately they are not running out of business, good luck
Member of CK
Thank you so much to Shimon Goldberg – who does a BEAUTIFUL job every time.
I’m wondering if maybe we could add to this project with Ahavas Yisroel by making sure that other graves at least have their matzeivos standing. When I go to visit my father there are at least 4 stones that have fallen off their bases I’ve called the cemetery for years to no avail.
Ch resident
I saw all this when we visited relatives graves recently and I was wondering about it. I’m glad that somebody cares and very grateful for this project… my mother’s matzeivah toppled over last year and we paid a bunch to have it fixed. Unfortunately I’ve see others like it.