Certain words, certain phrases, invoke power. In Judaism, the Mourners Kaddish is said not in sadness, but exalting the power of God. We say the Mourners Kaddish to show that despite hurt, we praise God, and affirm our belief in him. This prayer has been recited throughout time, for over 5,000 years. This is a prayer that draws upon voices throughout time, honoring the dead. To be part of and bear witness to Kaddish is a mitzvot, and I think especially in the case where it can be said for those who had no control over their outcomes, violated by a system that designated them as subhuman and treated them with little respect in death, as in life.
For those who have passed, the Kaddish acts as consolation, especially in the case of souls being ripped from their bodies. The Kaddish, when committed in the memory of others, means that they now live through us, and that we are giving power to them to live out experiences they were otherwise denied. The power of this prayer is that when said in the space of silence, over these sites of mass executions, it’s a mitzvah that contributes to repairing the world, Tikun Olam.
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Thank you; your actions yesterday were powerful and humbling. At those moments, we were so close to the victims, whoever they were…nameless to us and known only through witnesses or documentary numbers as collected by Yahad-in Unum, yet denied their lives by the monstrosity of genocide. To have honored them with Kaddish restores to them some dignity, I think.