Two differing types of people were described by Brian White at The Fed’s care home, Heathlands Village, at a gathering on Friday, 4th October.
“Soil people and soul people… and whereas soil people focus on earthly rewards and possessions, soul people see what they can do for others,” he said.
Mr White was speaking at the opening of a brand-new mortuary at the Village – the culmination of many years of hard work by individuals and families across the community to raise the necessary funds.
Echoing his words, Dayan Yehuda Steiner of the Manchester Beth Din, reflected on the lofty nature of the completed project – calling it a ‘chesed shel emel’ – a true act of kindness, for which there can be no reciprocation from the recipient.
Dayan Steiner went on to pay tribute to The Fed’s Director of Operations, Sheila Heywood-Holt, who oversaw the entire redevelopment, presenting her with a certificate of thanks from the Manchester Beth Din.
The opening of the mortuary, which will be available as a resource for the entire Greater Manchester Jewish Community, was marked by the unveiling of a number of plaques. The new building consists of state-of-the-art facilities, along with a pleasant ante-room where family members will be able to relax in comfort.
Josh Neuman, a member of the Heathlands Village Shul Committee, has been closely involved with the project. He presented Mrs Heywood-Holt with a plaque commemorating her ‘outstanding commitment and passion to create this wonderful new facility.’
Fed Chairman, Bernie Yaffe, unveiled the new building, highlighting its broader availability:
“As a facility open to the wider community, we are pleased to be able to offer this newly refurbished space to families whose loved ones were not residents of Heathlands Village,” he said.
“As part of our plans to maintain the mortuary to the highest level of comfort for families and dignity for the deceased, The Fed is looking at ways to alleviate some of the costs of its upkeep. We will therefore be speaking to relevant communal organisations over the coming weeks to see how they can contribute to this.”
