*I planned a very upbeat post, but it ended up explaining a Jewish funeral and cemetery customs.
I would have loved to post this crowned with a picture of today's dawn, but it's grey and overcast in the Holy City of Shiloh.
Instead I'll give you another perspective of Yossi's funeral. That's because I'm announcing that Baleboosteh has done it again with a superb edition of the JPIX Carnival. So how can the post be without illustration?
This picture is what I saw when he was being buried; though it's not immediately clear from the picture. Traditional Jewish funerals are kinestetic; I can't think of another word. You can see members of the Chevra Kadisha, Burial Society, in the grave to make sure the wrapped body, not in a casket, is gently placed. Then mourners add the dirt to bury the dead. Afterwards, everyone goes by and places stones on the fresh grave. Actually, our tradition is to place stones on graves as a "tribute."
When I was a little girl, my father once took me to his father's grave. I never knew that grandfather, since he had died before my parents even married. The cemetery was very green, and there was bushes growing on the grave. I remember so clearly that my father explained that there were plants, because Jews don't bring dead things to graves.
Jews don't have the tradition to bring wreaths and bouquets of flowers to graves, and it really bothers me that the Israeli government and the IDF have adopted the goyish custom of placing wreaths. Yes, you can add that to the list of things done here which are really Christian customs.
