Reprinting some of my favorite columns.
As visitors walk through Arlington National Cemetery en route to the Tomb of the Unknowns or John F. Kennedy’s grave, they often ask why rocks are atop tombstones.
Simply, it’s a Jewish tradition. Rocks serve as a reminder of one’s visit to a grave much like Christians leave flowers.
I’m not Jewish, but I asked some Jewish friends and read up on this since first seeing the tradition at the end of “Schindler’s List.”
The tradition dates back to Jacob’s sons placing rocks atop their mother Rachel’s grave. It also serves as a cover to a grave in sandy climates where winds may expose the buried to animal predators.
The rock tradition has spread. Some Muslims do it and I’ve seen rocks on markers with Christian symbols. Colored beads are also used so it appears a widening tradition.
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[…] Over on a fly fishing blog my family has written for a few years I’ve shared a tradition we now practice that was inspired by another fly fisher several years ago – the simple act of placing a stone on a veteran’s grave marker on Memorial Day. The practice has ancient roots (Jewish tradition from Biblical times, adopted by many cultures over time), and is commonly practiced even in our Nation’s cemetery at Arlington. […]