International cooperation to bring girl to Jewish burial

Through international cooperation a Jewish girl was brought to Jewish burial: Ten days ago, a Jewish girl of 28 was killed in a car accident in South India.

Her parents, Alan and Roberta Waters, from Framingham, Massachusetts USA, explained that according to Jewish belief the body should be brought for burial in a dignified manner.

Once they understood that by means of a humane request they will not achieve anything, they began to exert diplomatic pressure through the State Department, and the operation of contacts through Chabad organization and ZAKA.

"We want to bring our daughter, Paula, to Jewish burial, so that we can sit shiva for her, and observe the customs of mourning which we observe," said the parents to state administration bodies, which tried to make contact through diplomatic channels with India.

The parents also came to Glen Johnson, Senior Advisor to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who recruited the employees of the State Department, to put pressure on their colleagues in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Indian subcontinent. He said that "the Secretary of State, Mr. John Kerry, gives his sincere condolences to Alan and Roberta, and the entire family. As a father of two girls, he can sympathize with the harsh loss, and express his sorrow at the painful case. He will do his utmost to restore Paula home as soon as possible."

Rabbi Levi Shemtov, Rabbi of the White House, director of Chabad House in the U.S. capital, enlisted for the case. As well as his colleague Rabbi Tzvi Freiman, director of the Chabad House in Massachusetts, and Rabbi Yakov Lazaros Chabad emissary in the city of residence of the parents. They made contact with Chabad emissary Rabbi Kozlowski in Mumbai, India.

On Friday, Erev Shabbos Zachor, the Indian government ordered to release Paula's body. She was transferred to Rabbi Kozlowski.

On Purim night, Rabbi Kozlowski held a special prayer in memory of Paula Waters, and informed the parents that he is handling all the arrangements necessary so that the body of their daughter will arrive at her parents in the United States.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!