Gathering (Plaza Jewish Community Chapel/Thursday Doors)

the harvest of your essence is present
not merely as solemn sentences of remembrance–

but it endures in stories, in invisible gifts–
the connecting threads that weave narratives–

you have worn them well–patterns of reciprocity
that continue to build community–

multiplied by those you have touched–
manifested by acts, words, trust—

you always held a hand out, confirming
we had meaning—not only deserving

of your attention, but integral to all creation–
you opened a place in the circle. an invitation

to continue what you have passed on–
a legacy of open-heartedness, a way to belong

I’ve attended three memorial services at Plaza Jewish Community Chapel. One was for a teacher and vice principal of my daughters’ elementary school; one was for the mother of one of my daughter’s softball teammates; and the third was for a former neighbor from the building where I lived the longest, the one that was closest to a permanent home. All were, in their own way, special–and the presence of a wide cross-section of people from various segments of the Upper West Side community reflected that.

The only architectural history I could find about the building was its date of construction: 1910. But the organization itself has a wonderful calling: it’s the only non-profit funeral chapel in New York City. Here’s the mission statement:

Plaza Jewish Community Chapel is a not for profit corporation governed by an unpaid Board of Directors that includes rabbis from all of the major denominations, representatives of Jewish social service agencies, individuals who serve as lay leaders in synagogues and Jewish communal organizations. Our mission is to ensure that every member of the Jewish Community receives a dignified and respectful Jewish funeral; to lower the high cost of funerals by eliminating the profit motive and commercialism so often associated with the funeral industry; and to provide appropriate connections to Jewish communal resources that the bereaved may need to cope with emotional or practical problems.

The front door is not fancy, but I’ve always liked the geometry of the building itself, and the decorative windows. And it’s lovely inside. I’m glad that these three wonderful humans were remembered in a space whose values reflect the way they lived their lives.

My poem is in slant rhymed couplets for Muri’s Scavenger hunt and for the W3 prompt this week from Suzette: Compose a poem on the theme of: What ‘harvest’ means to you.

And for Colleen’s Tanka Tuesday, since harvest is also a fall kigo word, a senryu.

how does one harvest
a life?  what can be passed on?–
the connecting threads

You can read more about the work that Plaza Jewish Community Chapel does here.

And find more doors with host Dan Antion here at Thursday Doors.