Pebbles on gravestones

[Lesley Robertson]

This isn't related to any genealogy research I'm doing, it's just something I've been wondering about.
A few weeks ago I was out photographing a cemetary for the CWGC Photographic Project, and noticed that someone had put a few small pebbles on the top of every stone for Jewish servicemen. It's not something I've noticed elsewhere, and I was wondering whether it was significant, or just someone playing around. Maybe a child liked the stones with stars on them.
People do leave things on the graves, apart from flowers - for example, in the same cemetary someone had left a model of a Lancaster plane on a pilot's grave, sent by a member of the crew who'd survived.

Lesley

[Astoria]

When a family member visits the grave they bring a small pebble in place of flowers I believe.

[Lesley Robertson]

When a family member visits the grave they bring a small pebble in place of flowers I believe.


That would explain it - there was no obvious source for the pebbles in the immediate area. I'm glad I left them - I've been wondering ever since if I should have removed them.
I've learnt a lot since I got involved with this Project.
Lesley

[Procat]

This page (http://www.orchadash-tucson.org/rabbi-mourning-customs.html) has some comments regarding the custom of pebbles amongst other things.

[Lesley Robertson]

This page (http://www.orchadash-tucson.org/rabbi-mourning-customs.html) has some comments regarding the custom of pebbles amongst other things.

Thanks. That's clear.
Lesley

[jeeb]

Hi Lesley,
Like you, I was unaware of any custom of leaving pebbles on Jewish graves but I remember that at the end of the marvellous but heart breaking film 'Schindler's List' that small stones were laid on his grave by some of the surviving Jews that he saved and I wondered then if that had a significance. Thankyou for bringing it to our attention.

Cheers Jeremy

[BeeE586]

I recall that in some TV programme or other this came up, and the explanation given was that the stone signified 'I was here, I have not forgotten.' Seems reasonable - we take flowers, they leave stones, just another way of remembering a loved one and we all have our own way of grieving.

Eileen