Brooklyn, NY – Good Deed Chesed Shel Emes Aftercare to Jews Who Die.

Brooklyn, NY – When a Jewish person dies in the city and beyond – especially in tragic circumstances – volunteers from Chesed Shel Emes spring into action.

“Whenever we can, we try to get involved,” said Rabbi Mendy Rosenberg, founder and president of this unique nonprofit organization. “You have to do whatever needs to be done.”

Chesed Shel Emes, which means “true kindness” in Hebrew, handles about 300 cases a year, getting referrals from medical examiners, hospitals and community members.

Sometimes they just offer advice to the bereaved or clean the body, but often a call comes in about a forlorn person with no relatives who has just passed away.

In those cases, they claim and handle the remains, buy a cemetery plot, administer a funeral and even designate someone to say the mourner’s Kaddish prayer on every anniversary. They pay all the expenses.

“We try to help people as much as we can,” said Meyer Berger, a four-year volunteer. “I feel that might be my purpose of being in the world.”

Read extended article [NY Dailynews]