Introduction

almadsfeika — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 03:48:46 +0000

I have started this wordpress account to commemorate my friend Devorah Levenberg. She passed this time last year. Sadly I was a bit rubbish and put off writing in here so I couldn’t start it in time for her yahrtzeit (anniversary of death) like I had planned. However I do believe it is never too late to do a good thing. I attended seminary with her when I was 15-16. I can’t recall her ever sticking to a particular group or specific person as a friend. She was a friend to all. She was quiet and modest, aidel in fact like her maiden name (Adelman – modest man in Yiddish). I remember her as someone who always had a smile and a kind word. She was a girl I didn’t spare many thoughts for, and now I miss her. Her passing shocked me and gave mortality a more brutal definition. I know that nothing is concrete in this world – I am mature and healthy enough to know that G-d leads it. However, this happened to one of my friends. She was a mere handful of years older than me. I’m 21 and still feel young and reasonably free. She should still be here, being a wonderful mother and beautiful soul.

Perhaps I am romanticising with this description. Am I saying nice things about her because she has passed? I hope it’s not that superficial. I don’t think it is. That is how I will remember March 7, 2008. I have started this wordpress account so that I will always remember, and in the hope that others do too. In the spirit of this, please do send your stories and thoughts about Devorah to lydia.marmorstein@gmail.com so that I can put them here.

For further information about this tragic event, please have a look at the link. lukeford.net condenses most of the newspaper articles and comments here in his blog, thanks!

On an important final note for this introductory entry, given that the circumstances of Devorah’s passing were mindless, needless and stupid – no seatbelts, driver took a turn too fast – I ask everyone to think again about basic health and safety. We’re all guilty of not bothering with a seatbelt, of driving/ walking/ running recklessly, and so on. It is wiser to be mindful, evidently.

Shavua Tov (Good Week),

LFM