Jews And Flowers

[FredPuli43]

In Secrets from the Workhouse, Felicity Kendall, at the grave of one of her ancestors, said " I won't leave flowers as I am Jewish. I will leave stones instead", and she did, laying some pebbles. I have never come across this. Is it a universal Jewish belief and practice? What's the origin of it?

[TheWinner]

http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1218970/jewish/Flowers-Jews-Gravesites.htm

[Barmaid]

Not sure Fred, but I remember at the end of Schindler's List all the Jewish survivors placed stones on his grave.

[FredPuli43]

Perfect, theWinner! And perfectly logical, apart from the idea that Jews should not practise the practices of the goyim, and even that makes sense when seen from a Jewish perspective.

[hc4361]

Didn't stop her playing with pigs in The Good Life, nor does she wear a wig or headcovering.

[petal54]

miss K was not Jewish then,coverted when she married a Jew

[FredPuli43]

She's not that frum, hc! Wigs are for very Orthodox Jewish wives, the" Stamford Hillbillies" in London and the like. And there's nothing to stop a Jew tending to pigs,though there is unlikely to be much call for Jewish swineherds , provided he doesn't eat the meat.

[Rosetta]

one link I saw said it the practice of laying stones was of fairly recent origin (in the last century) and not universally adhered to

[naomi24]

Barmaid, I've seen Schindler's grave. It's in the cemetery just outside the city walls on Mount Zion in Jerusalem. It is, naturally, laden with stones. No surprise there.

[Ann]

I was surprised too when I saw it on the programme, I didn't know they didn't lay flowers.

They certainly chose some good actors to turn on the tears at exactly the right moment, maybe I'm unemotional but I don't think I would cry for ancestors I didn't know.

[LoftyLottie]

I'm with you on that Ann. I might feel it was very sad, but it wouldn't make me cry.

[FredPuli43]

That's why I was wondering , Rosetta. I am fairly well up on Jewish practices and can't say that I've been aware of no flowers being sent to the house on Jewish bereavements, though I've never thought about it at funerals. Maybe a convert is more alive to convention and would be shy of departing from it. Jewish celebrations and ceremonial are not always noted for a lack of conspicuous consumption or considerations of not appearing richer than others ;) The old joke is that you are always in danger of serious fork wounds at the buffet (and what a buffet it is) ! And I had a Jewish girlfriend who went to her various safe deposits in London to get all her best jewellery out, all of which she wore at once. When I asked why she wanted to look like a Sotheby's catalogue crossed with a Christmas tree she said "All the family will be there!"

[hc4361]

Same here, Ann and Lottie

[Ann]

It was quite laughable at times - OH and I were saying "Cue tears" and "Cue quivering lips and quavery voice!"