Jeanne Safron, Missouri-St. Louis, was asked by the school's Jewish Student Association (JSA) to volunteer at the cemetery, along with others. To make sure there were plenty of volunteers, Safron decided to reach out to brothers, as some are members of both organizations.

On February 23, as Safron and five other brothers walked up to the cemetery, she was touched to see hundreds of volunteers lining up. "I was so touched and honored to be a part of a community that does not stand for hatred of any kind," said Safron. "When I had originally heard about the vandalism, I was disgusted. I could not imagine why anyone would do this. Being Jewish, you respect the dead above all else. That is why we go through such a rigorous burial process."


From left: Jeanne Safron, Alexander Zvibleman, Cassandra Filip, Jacob Duran and Yaniv Dudaie, all Missouri-St. Louis.

During their time at the cemetery, brothers helped rake and cleaned off tombstones that had been toppled over. Some of the members brought rocks to put on the gravestones, an indication of respect for the deceased.

"It was a humbling experience to see people from all walks of life in the community put aside their differences to come together and show their support," said Jacob Duran, Missouri-St. Louis.

Over 170 gravestones were knocked over, and much work still needs to be done. To learn more or support the restoration of the Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery, please visit: www.jfedstl.org/emergency-response/.