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Virtual Yahrzeit Memorial

View the Virtual Yahrzeit Memorial (Hint: you may need to zoom your browser in Win:Ctrl+- Mac: Command+-)

Since leaving our previous home in Plainfield in 2003, we have not had a means to honor the memory of our departed loved ones other than through the purchase of Tribute Cards. Our new home in Scotch Plains does not have enough space for traditional brass plaques on the walls, instead it has an innovative electronic display that is housed near the main entrance. The display is flanked by the original decorative ark doors from the Plainfield synagogue, maintaining the sacred nature of the space and providing privacy for those who visit the Memorial Alcove. 

The screen displays virtual plaques that have been purchased in memory of a loved one. In addition to a basic plaque with a name and date, there is an option to include up to three photos and biographical information. The information from all of the brass plaques from our former home has already been transferred to the new system and is currently ready for viewing. Simply touch the “search” button on the screen and enter a few letters of the loved one’s last name. Touch the name you are seeking and the plaque will immediately come up on the screen. A complete set of instructions will be posted on the display.

The standard screen is a rotating display of all the plaques. On Shabbat, the names of those whose yahrzeit occurs on that week (from the previous sundown on Saturday to sundown on the next Saturday) will appear. Not every name read during services on any given Shabbat will appear on the screen -- only those who have plaques purchased in their memory. Even though names will be scrolling on the screen at all times, you will be able to interrupt the scroll to search for a specific name.

All of the plaques from Plainfield are currently stored at the Temple. We hope to one day be able to create a Memorial Walk in the back of our property and to mount the plaques on the wall overlooking our brook. If you “reserved” a plaque at our Plainfield location, rest assured that we have maintained a record of your placeholder.

We hope that you will find this new sacred space to be a meaningful addition to our home on Lake Avenue, as it enables all of us to remember and honor those who came before us.

For those who would like to purchase a new virtual Yahrzeit plaque, add a photo and biographical information to an existing virtual plaque, or report any errors or omissions, please contact Sandra Nussenfeld, Yahrzeit Memorial Coordinator, at 908-962-3269, or e-mail her at memorial@sholomnj.org.

Sat, December 14 2024 13 Kislev 5785