A large group visited Edmonton Federation Cemetery last Sunday, to daven
at the kevarim of gedolim and inspirational figures from the past. The trip was
organised by the Federation and follows on from the recent publication of a
book of biographies of Rabbanim and communal leaders buried at the cemetery,
authored by Rebbetzin Aviva Landau.
Dayan Y. Y. Lichtenstein, Rosh Beis Din, introduced the tour by explaining
that the cemetery opened in 1890 in response to the pressing need of recent
frum immigrants who were unable to afford the burial fees of other organisations.
Rabbi S. Y. Bixenspanner, Rav of Hendon Adass, guided the tour and presented
both informative historical accounts as well as divrei mussar and lessons to
learn at each kever. Dayan Y. D. Hool and Dayan Y. Posen, dayanim of the Federation
Beis Din, accompanied him and led tehillim.
The first kever visited was that of Rabbi Moshe Grunwald, a Rav who was
brought to London to be the Rav Rashi of the Federation but was tragically and
suddenly niftar before delivering his first drashah.
There were few dry eyes as the crowd walked past a vast stretch of kevarim of
young children from the early 1900s. Many of them were marked with a simple
sign, as their families could not afford matzeivos. A current scheme to provide
dignified matzeivos for these kevarim is underway, with all collections from tzedakah
boxes onsite going to this fund.