Steven M. Zellman writes in the Nov. 1 bulletin of the Hillcrest Jewish Center:
“On the morning of October 14, 2009, Elaine Steinberg, Irving Goldberg, Robert Rumack, Mike Silver, and I went over to Bayside Cemetery in Ozone Park to meet Dr. Ron Herskovits, our neighbor in Jamaica Estates. Dr. Ronny works as a virtual one-man crew to clean up this troubled Jewish cemetery.
“Efforts have been made sporadically over the years, not all of them by Jews, to clean up the cemetery. These charitable efforts have not brought more than very temporary results. Fallen trees, unpruned trees, Jurassic-Park-like weeds, and garbage prevent access to many graves. Toppled headstones and vandalized graves are numerous.
“The mission now under way is to do a comprehensive clean-up effort of the cemetery followed by the installation of control measures that will elegantly prevent the speedy return of unwanted vegetation, resulting in a ‘low maintenance’ cemetery.
“A comprehensive effort was begun by Jewish volunteers throughout the metropolitan area to return Bayside Cemetery to its proper place of respect for our departed Jewish brothers and sisters. It is anticipated that work will continue every Wednesday and Sunday until the winter with rotating groups of volunteers participating.
“Dr. Herskovits is coordinating with the Community Association for Jewish at Risk Cemeteries (CAJAC). The association received a grant from UJA to hire professionals for the really heavy work. Of course, there is much work to be done by volunteers.
“To my fellow volunteers, thanks for joining me in being part of this wonderful mitzvah of Kiddush Hashem—assisting in the cleaning up the long neglected Bayside Cemetery. May we continue to go from strength to strength.”
