Blog

By: Jo-Anne Tucker-Zemlak

On June 21, I lost my beloved life partner and husband, David Kaplan. While I'm a “regular” at Shabbat eve services, David was not, nor was he the “davening” kind, but rather the epitome of “menchlachkeit” and loyalty, honesty and devotion�"that was David. 

The outreach from Beth El, from the rabbis and Josh Bender, was immediate and remarkable. We attended Beth El's morning minyan during shiva, and were welcomed with incredible warmth and friendship. My sisters-in-law (neither Beth El members) joined in the minyanim as well, and were overwhelmed by the outpouring extended to us.  Together we marked time, day by day, while walking in a fog that hovered over us.

As we approached the thirty-day mark of reciting daily kaddish with the minyan, I knew I wanted to mark the Shloshim in a meaningful way. I reached out to Amanda Beitman, in the Beth El Development Department, to inquire as to whether it might be possible to obtain the memorial yahrzeit plaque for David in time to mark the end of Shloshim. 

As the thirty days ended, I was, in fact, given the honor of installing David's plaque and of reciting a beautiful prayer with his two sisters beside me. This surely eases us in our journey. While we may be introducing a new interpretation to an existing long-time Beth El tradition of honoring our departed with memorial plaques, doing it in this manner, to conclude the Shloshim period, was especially meaningful, particularly personal, and very special.

I share these thoughts with you because I want to express my appreciation to the congregation for being such a source of support, strength, and comfort to me during David's lengthy illness and ultimate passing. I know I am not alone there; it represents a broader sacred congregational family of hearts and souls on the ready for simchas or sadness. May Beth El continue to be a blessing for years to come.   

If you would like to honor the memory of a loved one, please consider dedicating a plaque in their name which will remain in perpetuity on Beth El's Memorial Wall. For more information on Beth El's Memorial Wall, please contact Amanda Bietman at amanda@bethelbalto.com.