January 15, 2008

“The task is not yours to complete; neither shall you desist from it.”
     (Pirke Avot, 2:20)

United Jewish Communities of MetroWest New Jersey has opened a mailbox for funds to help our sister federation, the Jewish Federation of Greater Middlesex County, to rebuild a Jewish cemetery that was badly desecrated last week.

The Poile Zedek Cemetery in New Brunswick, N.J. suffered an estimated $1 million in damages after vandals toppled and broke some 500 tombstones and monuments. The Jewish Federation of Greater Middlesex County said the cemetery, much of which was desecrated, was not insured for vandalism. The cemetery is owned by two local synagogues, Congregation Etz Ahaim in Highland Park and Congregation Poile Zedek in New Brunswick.

As friends, colleagues, and relations of those who were affected in Middlesex County, and as fellow Jews, our hearts go out to the families of those buried in the cemetery and to the community who are stunned by this violation of the sacred. Our Jewish tradition teaches us respect for the dead – that they be buried with dignity and that their memory be for a blessing.

UJC MetroWest urges community members to help share the burden with the local Jewish community in Middlesex County by contributing to help repair the cemetery in the wake of this crime, with 100 percent of donations going to the restoration. As a lead gesture, UJC MetroWest is making a $5,000 contribution from its discretionary funds to help restore dignity to this sacred Jewish space.

Local law enforcement officials on Thursday announced the arrest of four teenagers in two attacks, which took place last week. The teens, ages 15-17, were charged with juvenile delinquency, desecration of venerated objects, criminal mischief, and conspiracy, according to news reports. Police officials did not suspect bias played a role in the attacks, and did not charge the teens with any hate crimes, according to reports.

To contribute, please click here to make a contribution on-line or mail your check, payable to the Middlesex Cemetery Restoration Fund, to:

CRC of UJC MetroWest
901 Route 10
Whippany, NJ 07981

If you would like to learn more about the historic Jewish cemeteries in the greater Newark area and of local efforts to repair and rehabilitate our own MetroWest Jewish cemeteries, please click here.