Strangers Turn Up for Funeral of Holocaust Survivor

Hundreds of strangers turned up in freezing conditions for the funeral of a hero Holocaust survivor after a rabbi's plea on Facebook.

Zale Newman had visited 85-year-old Eddie Ford over the last seven months at a hospital in Toronto where he was suffering from cancer.

Ford said he wanted a Jewish funeral at the end of his life so Zale asked for those living near Toronto to 'escort a Hero of the Holocaust for his final journey' in a 'huge PURE act of kindness'.

Despite posting his request online just the night before the service and temperatures of 13F, hundreds of people made the journey to pay their respects.

Among the mourners was Eddie's long-lost brother, whose relative learned of the sad news on the Internet and informed him so he could attend.

Zale followed up on his post saying when he saw a line of cars the next day he 'assumed there was another funeral taking place at the same time'.

He said the random of kindness from dozens of strangers left him in tears.

Zale wrote: ' I sent out a late night FB post and two emails to groups neither of whom replied. 3 people responded that they would join me. I was hoping for at least ten in total. When I arrived at the cemetery in a wind chill of -27, far to the north of Toronto, I couldn't get in because of the line of cars.

'I assumed there was another funeral taking place at the same time and I wondered how we would find Eddie's resting place. I stopped people who were walking and they all said they were going to the funeral of Mr Ford.


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