JEWISH COMMUNITY TO DEDICATE MEMORIAL MONUMENT TO JEWISH SERVICEMEN/WOMEN INTERRED AT NEW HAMPSHIRE STATE VETERANS CEMETERY IN BOSCAWEN

Are you aware that New Hampshire has a beautiful Veterans Cemetery in Boscawen, north of Concord? I was not aware of this until I was asked to officiate at the interment of a Jewish veteran there. It brought back memories of my being at, as an active duty chaplain almost 50 years ago, the largest American military ceremony overseas, in Manila, Republic of the Philippines. There are over 20,000 veterans from World War II interred there, of whom over 200 are Jewish. After the service for Colonel Katz in Boscawen, I wondered how many Jewish souls might be interred at the Boscawen cemetery. The director told me they did not keep religious affiliation records. After canvassing the immaculate grounds, we found over sixty markers with Stars of David.

The cemetery has a Memorial Garden near the administration building where, over the years, many organizations have erected monuments in honor of specific groups of veterans. When my wife Iris and I walked through the Memorial Garden area (see link to  photos below), we realized there was no monument remembering/ honoring Jewish veterans. I talked with the cemetery administrator, and he said that there were spaces available in the garden, and that he would welcome the Jewish community erecting a monument.

With my personal history of being a military chaplain, I decided to make this happen. I started corresponding with Rabbi Davidson of Temple Adath Yeshurun of Manchester and Rabbi Robin Nafshi of Temple Beth Jacob in Concord, plus a number of people in the community, many of whom were veterans themselves. The Jewish Federation of New Hampshire has supported this project and is allowing funds to be donated through the Federation for the cost of the monument. We invite you to contribute towards the cost of the monument, thus feeling part of the process, by sending an earmarked donation to the Jewish Federation.

We plan a dedication of the monument on Sunday, October 15, at 1pm.

Here is a link to an overview of the cemetery:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CE8hOxwJKYw 

And here is a link to photos of the Memorial Garden and some of the monuments:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/qUP63C94bdySeVQQ8

You most certainly do not need to be a veteran to acknowledge the dedication and sacrifice of those interred in this hallowed ground.

 Rabbi Gary Atkins

Chaplain, New Hampshire Wing, Civil Air Patrol