![]() This tradition may also reflect the biblical practice of marking the grave with a pile of stones. It is customary, before leaving the gravesite, to place a small stone on the marker to indicate that someone has visited the grave. Traditionally, the Kaddish is not recited aloud if no minyan is present. ![]() ![]() The unveiling ceremony consists of the recitation of Psalms, a very brief eulogy encapsulating the most salient characteristics of the deceased, removing the cloth covering the headstone, the El Maleh Rahamim prayer and the Mourner’s Kaddish. While many families wait until almost the full year has passed to do the unveiling, it may be done sooner in Israel the stone is usually placed soon after sheloshim. It is customary for the grave marker to be put in place and for an unveiling ceremony to be held after the Kaddish period is over, but no later than one year after the death. Also, one often finds the Hebrew letters pay nun, standing for “ p o nikbar(ah), here is buried,” and the letters tav, nun, tzadee, bet, hay, standing for the phrase “May his/her soul be bound up in the bond of eternal life.” Unveiling The marker usually includes: the English and Hebrew name of the deceased, the dates of birth and death in English and Hebrew, and the relationship to other family members (i.e., father/mother, husband/wife, grandfather/grandmother, sister/ brother, etc.). The Jewish teaching that all are equal in death often serves as a guide to choosing an appropriate headstone. Jewish tradition makes no stipulation as to the size or type of marker or monument, but most cemeteries have specific guidelines. My Jewish Learning is a not-for-profit and relies on your help DonateĪ tombstone serves to identify the grave so that relatives will find it when they visit, honor the memory of the deceased, and identify a place of burial so that kohanim (descendants of ancient Jewish priests) will avoid it as required by Jewish law.
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