Jewishness has always been physically distinctive. Jewish bodies are marked with circumcision, Jewish homes are marked with mezuzahs and even in death Jewish graves are often visually obvious — even as their appearance differs substantially over time and across Jewish communities.
Jews eschew cremation and prefer terrestrial interment. Accordingly, Jews have been erecting physical memorials to mark the graves of their loved ones since time immemorial. In the Hebrew Bible, Abraham’s first acquisition in the promised land is a cave in which to bury his wife Sarah, and Jacob sets up a pillar to mark Rachel’s final resting place — the first recorded tombstone in Jewish tradition. Some of the most ancient Jewish archaeological finds are grave markers.
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Carving images onto Jewish graves is likewise a longstanding practice, though one that has waxed and waned over the long course of Jewish history. While many Jewish headstones are simple and have no images — including many contemporary Jewish headstones — over the years they have borne a vast array of symbols that reflected religious beliefs, family heritage or the personal lives of the deceased as well as the cultural milieu in which they lived and died. Below are some of the most common symbols found on Jewish graves and their significance.
Star of David (Magen David)
The Star of David, a six-pointed star, is one of the most universally recognized Jewish symbols and of all the symbols on this list the most commonly found on contemporary Jewish graves. It is ubiquitous in Jewish cemeteries and particularly striking in military cemeteries, where fallen Jewish soldiers are buried alongside non-Jews and the Jewish star is the only visual difference between their graves and those of their comrades.
Menorah
Though the Star of David is perhaps the most recognizable Jewish symbol, the menorah, the seven-branched candelabrum from the ancient Temple in Jerusalem, is in fact a more ancient one. It has been used on Jewish graves even since antiquity.
Priestly Hands
Jews who are the descendants of the priests in the Temple are given special ritual status in the Jewish community. One of their functions is to offer the priestly blessing to the congregation with hands outstretched in a distinctive gesture, with the palms forward and the first and second as well as third and fourth fingers held together, so that the shape of the hand resembles the Hebrew letter shin. Gravestones featuring hands positioned for the traditional priestly blessing indicate that the deceased was a kohen, a member of the priestly lineage.
Pitcher
In the ancient Temple, the priests were assisted by a group called the Levites, descendents of the ancient Jewish tribe of Levi. One of their functions was to wash the hands of the priests before they performed the Temple service. Especially in Ashkenazi cemeteries, it is common for the headstone of a Levite to bear the image of a pitcher, sometimes with a basin underneath. Sometimes the stones of Levites bear the image of a lyre or harp, because making music in the Temple was also one of the jobs of the Levites.
Books or Torah Scrolls
Books or open Torah scrolls sometimes appear on the graves of scholars and rabbis, highlighting the deceased’s dedication to Torah study.
Tree or Tree Stump
Trees are a potent symbol in Jewish tradition. The Tree of Life, whose fruit granted everlasting life to those who ate it, is sometimes represented on a Jewish grave. A tree stump or tree with broken branches, meanwhile, can be carved onto a headstone to symbolize a life cut short. It is most often found on the graves of those who passed away young and unexpectedly. A full tree can also represent family lineage and continuity.
Candlesticks
Shabbat Candlesticks or candelabras are often carved on the tombstones of Jewish women, signifying their role in lighting Shabbat and holiday candles.
Lion of Judah
The lion has long been a symbol identified with the Jewish tribe of Judah and King David, who was of that tribe. It evokes strength and courage in addition to Jewish identity.
Crown
A crown represents honor, piety and Torah study. It can symbolize the deceased’s dedication to Jewish faith or their status as a respected leader within the community. It is frequently paired with other symbols including books, lions and kohanic hands.
Other symbols
The symbols above are merely some of the most common on Jewish graves. Jewish cemeteries are replete with all kinds of decorations that represent the lives of the deceased or were in fashion in the time and place in which they lived. In antiquity, a lulav and etrog were commonly carved on Jewish graves. The shofar also had it’s turn as a key Jewish symbol popular on tombstones, perhaps heralding the messianic era. A cluster of grapes is another Jewish image, representing the fecundity of the land of Israel, as are Torah scrolls, tablets of the Ten Commandments and tzedakah boxes. Occasionally, Jewish graves will sport an entire fresco, often of a biblical scene.
Images from nature have also been popular in some times and places: the sun and moon as well as a menagerie of animals, such as deer, goats, bears and birds that sometimes reflect the name of the deceased or characteristics they are remembered for. For example, the Yiddish name Hersh means deer and the Hebrew name Dov means bear.
Symbols borrowed from surrounding cultures are also sometimes found on Jewish graves. For example, Jews who were free masons in the 19th and early 20th centuries often have masonic symbols like compasses or Solomonic knots carved on their graves. Mythical symbols that apparently have no Jewish connection, like dragons, griffins and mermaids are sometimes seen. Symbols far more popular on Christian graves that are also sometimes found on Jewish graves include anchors, cherubs, skulls with crossbones and death’s heads.
Interested readers are invited to explore Arnold Schwartzman’s slim and visually rich volume, Graven Images: Graphic Motifs of the Jewish Gravestone.
