I was a member of a group in Denver, linked to the "Hevra Kadisha", or the Jewish burial society, where we were on call to make the quorum of 10 men needed for the mourners to say the Kaddish prayer. Denver had many "old timers" whose children had left town many years before leaving their parents to volunteers, like me, to accompany them to their final resting place. It struck me that problem with a long life was that it could be a life lived alone at the end. I loved doing this job, this "mitzva", because of the stories told at the graveside, by members of the community, of the deceased and their contributions to Denver's rich history. I loved these stories, and perhaps that is the reason that QSO Today has been about stories.
I received the call from my brother, just before 4:00 AM IST that my father, George Guth, passed away at the age of 94 years. Since he outlived my mother, his brother, most of our relatives, and his friends, I thought to remember him here to you as a final tribute. The times have changed and an obituary with his name in the Sequim newspaper would go unnoticed. Sadly, when you live to age 94, where your circle has expired, the possibility of exiting your life without anyone noticing is very real.
I was a member of a group in Denver, linked to the "Hevra Kadisha", or the Jewish burial society, where we were on call to make the quorum of 10 men needed for the mourners to say the Kaddish prayer. Denver had many "old timers" whose children had left town many years before leaving their parents to volunteers, like me, to accompany them to their final resting place. It struck me that problem with a long life was that it could be a life lived alone at the end. I loved doing this job, this "mitzva", because of the stories told at the graveside, by members of the community, of the deceased and their contributions to Denver's rich history. I loved these stories, and perhaps that is the reason that QSO Today has been about stories.
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AuthorEric Guth, 4Z1UG / WA6IGR, is the host of the QSO Today Podcast, and an amateur radio operator since 1972. Eric has lived and worked in Israel since 2000. Archives
May 2024
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