In an upper Manhattan cemetery

By TOBY GOTESMAN SCHNEIER
In upper Manhattan there is a cemetary, and you can feel the history and the presence of the spirits when walking by.
The other day I had occasion to pass this cemetery en route to another destination, when I saw a woman in a blue coat, sitting on the ground next to what can only be described as a ''freshly dug grave.''
The blue struck me, as it was electric in its nature, and honestly, it was the bluest blue I have ever seen. She had red hair. Not auburn or copper, but BRIGHT, ORANGE, RED HAIR. The contrast to the blue made it a kind of shocking vignette to behold.
I would''ve kept on walking, had I not heard the singing. SHE was singing in Hebrew, so of course she got my total attention.
She was singing a song about Jerusalem, and she was SOBBING throughout the song. I noticed that she wore a wedding ring, and there was no headstone yet for the grave - it must''ve been too early.
I understood completely that this man had been her husband, and that he had perished in service to Israel.
There was a Halal stand outside the cemetery.