Dr. Jason Graham, Chief Medical Examiner of New York City — who oversees the largest medical examiner’s office in the world — toured Achiezer’s state-of-the-art tahara facilities this week, accompanied by top members of his leadership team. The Achiezer facility is the only halachically-compliant tahara center in New York City outside of Brooklyn.

Dr. Graham was joined by First Deputy Commissioner Nicholas Shultz, Chief Advisor Carly Berdan, Logistics Specialist Alex Dron, and Executive Director of Mortuary Response Operation Vincent Ruggiero III. They were welcomed by Achiezer CEO Rabbi Baruch Ber Bender; board members and Chevra Kadisha coordinators Meir Krengel and Aron Rosenberg; operational team member Daniel Goldfeder; logistics specialist Shalom Fruchter; Chaplain Matis Melnicke; Meir Weil; and officials from the Nassau County Police Department.

Although scheduled for just 30 minutes, the visit extended well over an hour as Dr. Graham, who had never personally observed Chevra Kadisha’s operations in more than two decades as a medical examiner and forensic specialist, listened intently to each stage of the Chevra Kadisha’s work — from the moment of petirah, whether in a hospital, at home, or in the aftermath of tragedy, through the tahara and on to kevurah.

“In my entire career of being a medical examiner and a forensics specialist, I had never had an education like I had today,” Dr. Graham reflected afterward, calling the experience profoundly educational and illuminating.

Meir Krengel noted that the presence of a figure of Dr. Graham’s caliber will not only help assist and enhance Chevra Kadisha operations and the preservation of kavod hameis in New York, but could also inspire improvements across the country.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)