Graveyard Guru 7/21/2011

Jewish Cemetery Symbolism

By Stephanie Lincecum

As Douglas Keister writes in Stories in Stone, “The Hebrew people have been memorializing their dead far longer than Christians.” The earliest biblical reference is found in Genesis 23:

2 And Sarah died in Kirjatharba, the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.

3 And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying,

4 I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a burying place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.

5 And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him,

6 Hear us, my lord, thou art a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead, none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead.

In my experience the Jewish cemetery is always a quiet and peaceful place.  This atmosphere is one of the things that “makes a Jewish cemetery Jewish,” according to the Jewish Cemetery Association of Massachusetts (www.jcam.org), because the grounds are consecrated and holy for the Jewish people.  Another characteristic is the symbolism.  Only Jewish symbolism is allowed in a Jewish cemetery.  Following are some common examples:

The six-pointed Star of David - a symbol of divine protection.

Two characters at the beginning of many inscriptions on Jewish headstones translate to “po nikbar,” which is Hebrew for “Here lies” or “Here is buried.”

The menorah is a seven-branched candelabra representing righteousness, the Temple, and Judaism.

The Cohanim (Kohanim, Cohayn) hands with thumbs and forefingers joined symbolize a priest, or blessing.  This can also represent an opening which directs the radiance of God.

And what about the rocks?

Most of us that visit cemeteries have noticed some tombstones with rocks placed on them.  This is usually considered a Jewish custom, though not all agree on the origin.  Most believe the act of placing a rock is a symbol of adding to the cairn (a man-made pile of stones marking a burial), as explained by the following:

Rabbi Shraga Simmons offers this meaning: "We are taught that it is an act of ultimate kindness and respect to bury someone and place a marker at the site. After a person is buried, of course, we can no longer participate in burying them. However, even if a tombstone has been erected, we can participate in the mitzvah of making a marker at a grave, by adding to the stone. Therefore, customarily, we place stones on top of a gravestone whenever we visit to indicate our participation in the mitzvah of erecting a tombstone, even if only in a more symbolic way."

Rabbi Ovadia Yosef says this, "In former days one did not mark a grave with marble or granite with a fancy inscription, but one made a cairn of stones over it. Each mourner coming and adding a stone was effectively taking part in the Mitzvah of matzevah ("setting a stone") as well as or instead of levayat ha-meyt ("accompany the dead"). Of course, the dead were often buried where they had fallen, before urbanization and specialization of planning-use demanded formal cemeteries...Therefore in our day one tends to stick a pebble on top of the tombstone as a relic of this ancient custom, and it is still clear that the more stones a grave has, the more the deceased is being visited and is therefore being honored. Each small pebble adds to the cairn - a nice moral message. This has become slightly spoiled by the cemetery authorities clearing accumulated pebbles off when they wash down the gravestones and cut the grass."

Finally, Rabbi Andrew Straus says this: "Ritual is a way of expressing our emotions and spiritual needs. We need physical acts to express these things for us, to make them concrete. Placing a stone on a grave does just that...(1) It is a sign to others who come to the grave when I am not there that they and I are not the only ones who remember. The stones I see on the grave when I come are a reminder to me that others have come to visit the grave. My loved one is remembered by many others and his/her life continues to have an impact on others, even if I do not see them. (2) When I pick up the stone it sends a message to me. I can still feel my loved one. I can still touch and be touched by him/her. I can still feel the impact that has been made on my life. Their life, love, teachings, values, and morals still make an impression on me. When I put the stone down, it is a reminder to me that I can no longer take this person with me physically. I can only take him/her with me in my heart and my mind and the actions I do because he/she taught me to do them. Their values, morals, ideals live on and continue to impress me - just as the stone has made an impression on my hands - so too their life has made an impression on me that continues."

As you can see, the Jewish cemetery has characteristics unique only to them.  I hope this small bit of insight will arm you with a greater understanding for your future visits.

And don’t forget to visit the Jewish Graveyard Rabbit at http://jewishgraveyardrabbit.blogspot.com for information about Jewish cemetery preservation and restoration.