By the Grace of G‑d

Dear Friend,

For nearly a century, our community has called Thailand home, a home that has welcomed us - local residents and Jewish travelers, with smiles and open arms. This month, our community faced something we never expected, and I want to share with you the full story, now that it has reached its conclusion please G‑d.

 

For some thirty years, a Jewish cemetery on grounds established through a royal land grant by King Rama IV to the foreign community has served our community here in Bangkok. In 2021, as that cemetery neared capacity, we purchased land in the Chachoengsao area to serve our community for years to come. The seller of the land obtained the necessary permits as part of our purchase agreement. The cemetery license was granted for a standard three-year term, and during that period, four of our beloved departed were buried there.

 

When the term came to an end in 2024, our renewal request was not approved. We were surprised and after getting legal counsel we appealed the matter through the courts, and were still awaiting a ruling.

 

In recent months, with the renewed attention given to foreign residents and visitors and ensuring all are following Thai law, the cemetery topic made news headlines. We were subsequently notified that our appeal had not been accepted (citing environmental requirements that had previously been overlooked). Several days before  Rosh Hashanah, the local council forwarded a government order instructing us to relocate the four graves within seven days. Yesterday, nearly five years after we first purchased that land, and with deep pain and sorrow for the deceased people we now had to disturb, we relocated those bodies.

 

I want to be completely clear about something that matters deeply to me.

 

In following the instructions of the Torah to follow the laws of the land one lives in, we always operate only within the bounds of Thai law. We hold deep respect and gratitude for the Kingdom of Thailand, its people, and its authorities. It was most natural, therefore, that the moment we were asked to relocate our departed, we did so, respectfully and without delay.

 

We immediately searched for a new resting place. We found the well-appointed option of the Nirvana Memorial Park, who graciously agreed to sell us a section of their grounds so we could establish a proper Jewish burial section. There, our four beloved departed now rest.

 

Two experienced ZAKA volunteers were flown in from Israel to assist our  Chevra Kadisha, my rabbinic colleagues, and dedicated community members in the relocation. It was a highly emotional and sensitive day. We began at Chachoengsao at 5:00 am, and, thank G‑d, before 3:00 pm we had reinterred all four of our departed in this newly consecrated burial ground, with the utmost sensitivity, professionalism, and full accordance with  halacha and the dignity owed to them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A proper Jewish burial is not a formality. "For dust you are, and to dust you will return," G‑d told Adam, the very first human being. Our body returns to the earth from which it came, just as our soul returns to its source above. To be present for that moment, or to help ensure it happens with dignity, is considered among the greatest of mitzvot. Our sages teach that even the High Priest, who was forbidden from attending the funerals of his own family, was still obligated to personally see to the burial of a Jew who had no one else to bury him.

This is why we could not simply move on. We had to get this right.


Many of you were present on  Rosh Hashanah, when I spoke of needing to ask  mechilah, forgiveness, from the  neshamot, the souls, of those we would have to disturb. We did everything we believed was right at the time. That we had to move them was not what any of us wanted. We focused our attention instead on doing right by them, with as much love and honor as we could give, and please G‑d, that is what we did.

 

For those who are able to contribute financially to this  Chesed Shel Emet, a kindness which can never be repaid, your support helps give our departed the dignity they deserve.  jewishthailand.com/tzedakah

 

If you'd like to discuss reserving a plot in the new burial grounds, please contact me.

 

I end this letter with gratitude for this remarkable country.

 

The Royal Kingdom of Thailand has always welcomed us with warmth. That warmth is why Jewish tourists flock here in such large numbers.

The clearest sign of it? The Chabad Houses in all the major cities in Thailand providing space for prayer, Torah, and benevolence, and the dozens of kosher-certified restaurants across the country.

 

And the closeness goes both ways.

 

I remember the outpouring of support from Jews around the world after the 2005 tsunami which we had the merit to deliver to the affected regions of Phuket and Phang-Nga. Our community has stood with Thailand ever since looking for ways that we can contribute and give back locally. Just recently, Rabbi Glitzenstein from Phuket secured a donation of one million baht for the Emergency Room at the local hospital in Patong.

 

This is the Thailand of Smiles, the Amazing Thailand that we have been blessed to live in for so long, and we hope and pray that, with G‑d's help, the Royal Kingdom of Thailand will continue to host the Jewish community with hospitality, respect, friendship, and harmony that has marked this relationship for generations.

 

With blessings,
Rabbi Yosef Kantor