[Marxism] Kaddish

[Louis Proyect]

In early April I received a letter from Victor, my late mom’s 94 year 
old long-time companion. (They did not live together nor were they 
intimate, but their bonds were as strong as any couple’s.) He sent me a 
Yahrtzeit schedule, which indicates when Kaddish, the prayer for the 
dead, should be said for my mother and explained: “The enclosed 
[schedule] should be very clear. Your mother would be very happy if she 
knew you would say Kaddish over her.” The irony, of course, is that I 
have only decided to step foot in a temple after my mother’s death. In 
the past 25 years or so, she had pressured me constantly to become 
observant but in my own stubborn way (inherited from her), I refused.

As it turned out, I had plans to do this without any prompting from 
Victor, as I stated not long after my mother’s death.  So yesterday my 
wife and I went down to Temple Shaaray Tefila, a Reform Synagogue on 
Second Avenue and 79th Street, for 10:15 Minyan services. (A Minyan 
means ten, a kind of quorum for Jewish services.) I had called the 
temple on Thursday to check out whether you had to be a member to 
attend. This synagogue is in the middle of prime NYC real estate and I 
had a feeling that it might operate as private club. There’s a funny 
“Curb Your Enthusiasm” episode when Larry David tries to get entry to a 
ritzy Beverly Hills Synagogue for Yom Kippur using a hawked ticket. The 
Shaaray Tefila receptionist said that there was no need to be a 
member—just show up.

full: http://louisproyect.wordpress.com/2009/05/03/kaddish/