Seth and I went for a walk in Green Lawn Cemetery the other day because it was a sunny, cold day and the snow looked so pretty. We parked in an area of the Cemetery we hadn’t explored yet and we ended up parking right beside the Jewish section. I am a big old witch, and my husband is agnostic, so neither of us knows much about Judaism or the customs there in. I was delighted to see small stones and rocks sitting atop all of the headstones in this section and after a quick google we found out that they are visitation stones. When saying Kaddish or visiting a grave the stone is left to show that the person is remembered. I love this custom so much!! I am so happy to know this now.
We also just happened upon the grave for Marvin Fishman aka. Flippo the King of Clowns, who had a morning children’s show that ran in Columbus beginning in 1953 and running through 1983. He passed away in 2006 after a career entertaining Columbus and surrounds. Apparently I learned through his obituary that he coined “Nerk” for my hometown of Newark. Small world.
Jewish cemetery, burial and Mourning Customs. (2003). Retrieved February 23, 2021, from https://www.jcam.org/Pages/Foundation/Education/articles/stones-left-on-monuments.php#:~:text=The%20Origins%20of%20Leaving%20A%20Visitation%20Stone&text=common%20Jewish%20cemetery%20customs%20is,of%20the%20act%20of%20remembrance.
I Am The Weird Girl 
Glad you enjoyed your walk. I’m not a big fan of visits to cemetaries ever since a boy from school scared me badly in one by grabbing my leg as I leant over a grave to do a rubbing of the headstone during a class trip to the local one. I was about nine. I had nightmares for days, and have found cemetaries kind of creepy since, even though the scare really didn’t have anything to do with anything but a mean little boy who thought teasing me would be fun.
That’s interesting about the stones. Thanks for sharing. đŸ™‚
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