Dancing Nachman Futterman into Eden

Something divine transpired at the burial of our dear brother, teacher, friend, father, husband and grandfather, Nachman Futterman.

The sun had just fully set behind the majestic trees escorting The Mountain of Rest. As loved ones finished trickling out five of us remained. Nachman’s holy son Psachya came closer again to his father’s grave again before leaving. Then there was only Akiva Gersh, Pesach Dovid Stadlin, Kalman Gavriel Delmoor, Paz Faigenbaum & I. Originally we were singing the appropriate sweet yet somber songs of Shlomo but as Psachya left Akiva insisted on singing a very upbeat lofty and cheerful Shlomo tune. I didn’t originally join in as I was still crying but Akiva’s voice grew insistently stronger. At one point I had my hand around Kalman’s shoulder and as he was about to share a revelation with me Akiva turned and motioned to us with his heart & hands, reminding not to talk but to sing. As Akiva stomped his foot to the rhythm on the holy soil we joined in and eventually the five of us were beyond united in happy melody and finally got into it.

As the chanting eventually came to a close I thanked Akiva for enabling us to dance Nachman into the Garden of Eden since earlier we solemnly sang and escorted Nachman out of this world. Akiva expressed that he felt it was divine intervention that Pesach Stadlin appeared during the joyous melody since this was the melody that Nachman would sing for up to an hour straight at the Pesach Seder on Passover. Akiva also apologized and clarified that the reason he was so insistent that no one talk and that we sing is because Nachman, like Shlomo Carlebach, only ever did that when people were speaking while others were singing. I of course agreed and replied that it was for the best because before, only I would have gotten to hear Kalman‘s revelation but now we all get to hear it. Kalman shared that he realized that ‘giving is opening’ which we all agreed that if anyone knew Nachman they would know that’s totally him and totally something he would say even if it’s not something he specifically has said before.

Open your hearts here’s where the story begins.

Earlier, during the burial I saw Nachman‘s name written on a different grave but he was listed as the father of a boy. I thought oh, he must have buried his son here. Now here we are finishing this upbeat lofty and cheerful tune and our eyes lift up to Nachman & Miriam’s son‘s grave situated right in front of Nachman‘s fresh grave upon which it is written “Yehuda Eliyahu the son of Nachman Yerachmiel, 1991-1995”. ‘’Oh!!’’ Akiva shouted. “That’s why Nachman would sing this exact melody every single Passover Seder! This is the melody Shlomo composed at Yehuda Eliyahu’s Bris Milah ceremony!” At that moment Akiva whipped out his video phone and showed us the video of Shlomo composing this exact melody literally at the meal of the circumcision of Yehuda Eliyahu Futterman, Nachman & Miriam’s son who passed away at the young age of four to Leukemia and who’s matured grave we were standing over!

In the video you could see C Lanzbom on guitar with Shlomo insistently singing this melody over and over while people got into it little by little similar to what had just happened after Nachman‘s burial, where it had taken us some time to get into it. In the video you could see Nachman and Miriam joyously sitting at the celebratory table singing and clapping along.

We could not believe what had just transpired. We unknowingly, unnaturally and even forcibly were dancing the tune that Shlomo composed at Yehuda Eliyahu’s Brit Milah ceremony, at Yehuda Eliyahu‘s grave, moments after his father Nachman’s body was lowered into his grave, at the moment Nachman & and Yehuda Eliyahu were reuniting in the Garden of Eden.