The Chevrah Kadisha and Beth Din on 12 November consecrated the rest of the new burial section at Westpark Jewish Cemetery in Johannesburg.
Situated on the south east side of Westpark, Section E comprises 40 000m2 and consists of six sub-sections, the first of which, Section EA, was consecrated in March 2020.
The consecration ceremony involved walking around the entire section three times while reciting tehillim and other prayers.
Rabbi Jonathan Fox, the group rabbi of the Chevrah Kadisha, said that the purpose of the ceremony was to sanctify the land where Jewish burials take place. The Beth Din’s Dayan Dovid Baddiel said it was also to pray that the people destined to be buried in the section wouldn’t pass away in an untimely manner.
Darren Sevitz, the director of burial services at the Chevrah Kadisha thanked those who attended this historic event.
The ceremony concluded with the recital of a communal memorial prayer for all those buried in Westpark Jewish Cemetery.
