אמאליגע סעלישער אידן

Years ago we spoke about the Jew from Sevlus (Selish) that I met while at the resting place of my grandparents. That was 10 years ago, what you might call the heady days of this blog. Stories like that one was what put us apart from other blogs, if I may say so myself. He had no issue talking - with a heavy heart - about the dark days in the Soviet Union, the forced chillul shabbos and yomtov, etc.. These were yidden that no past experience with the Russians, since their cities and towns were in either Czechoslovakia or Hungary or Romania before the war. For them, dealing with the new regime was a new צרה.  

Since then, the 3-4 times year that I visit my zeides and bubbes, what happens is that I notice that the little חלקה in New Jersey has filled almost to the point of beyond recognition. The matzeivos you would see from the narrow roads in the cemetery are now hidden from view and you need to make new landmarks for yourself. So goes it with Jews of the old country; they're almost all gone. This week, while visiting, I noticed that another member of the Selisher yid's family has been added. I wonder if corona took him too. In my advanced age I cannot recall if our old friend ever told me his first name, so I cannot say for sure which of the brothers he was. I thought he was Nachman only because that kever was there the last few years. Now I see a new addition to the family plot...

But it's safe to assume that, unfortunately, he too has found his peace in New Jersey.