Yonah z'l

When I first started attending the Kurdi shul near my home, an old man (Yonah), who seemed to be suffering from Parkison's, always caught my eye. I never spoke to the man, just shook his hand a few times. What caught my eye was what I thought was his intense dedication when praying or saying kaddish. It was important to him, and it showed.

During the past few 18-24 months, he no longer came to shul. I found out from a friend that he was in hospital as his health was detereorating rapidly with advanced Parkinson's & Alzheimer's. He had been in a coma the last few months.

Purim, in Jerusalem, was this past Sunday night. My wife told me that Yonah's wife was getting ready for the megillah reading when her daughter and daughter-in-law came in and said they have to go to the hospital, her husband was about to pass away. Yonah's wife looked at them and said, "If I go, I won't hear the megillah. I need to hear the megillah." Her daughter and daughter-in-law left, and the second the megillah reading was finished, she left too.

Yonah z'l passed away that night. When my wife told me the story, I didn't know what to say - I understand both the 'sides' of this story. I didn't really respond to the story ... but I couldn't help but just be in awe.
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