Did we pass over the Verrazano Bridge? I can’t tell because of the fog!
In the pouring rain, we finally made it to a large and historic Jewish cemetery in Staten Island. We were there to perform the mitzvah of respecting the dead. The cemetery was gigantic. Graves stretched as far as the eye could see. Many of the tombstones were covered with overgrown branches, infested with poison ivy.
Our job was to hack away at this foliage, which completely blanketed the tombstones. We were given heavy gloves to protect from the poison ivy and thorns. Our tools were gigantic, sharp, hedge cutters. One of the volunteer coordinators even brought his chain saw!
We had to look very closely to find the tombstones under the countless branches. Our objective was clear. We cut from the trees, branch by branch. I soon learned that the heavy gloves were no match for the thorns. We dragged away tarps full of what felt like 1000 pounds of branches, ivy, and thorns, but we kept on hacking, in the pouring rain. This hacking took great amounts of teamwork.
While we were chopping away, I began to wonder: Maybe I know the person whose name is on this grave. Finally, the tombstone was visible. I used my glove to clear away the dirt until the name “EPSTEIN” was visible, in faded lettering. I didn’t know who Epstein was, but I learned it didn’t matter whom the grave belonged to. What I realized at that moment was that we were doing one of the highest mitzvot. We cared for someone’s eternal resting place and expected nothing in return.
Michael Silverstone, 11th Grade
