Detail View: : grave_of_young_soldier_har_herzl

grave_of_young_soldier_har_herzl

Har Herzl, or Mt. Herzl is also a cemetary in which are buried all Israeli soldiers killed in conflict. This is one such soldier's grave, whoose family placed a photograph on top of the tombstone along with rocks, the Jewish tradition of placing rocks on a grave began with the Kohanim or high priests of the temple not being able to come in contact or make contact with a grave as it would make them tamei or impure and unable to offer sacrifices or partake in their obligatory rituals. Therefore, people visiting a grave would lay a rock on top so as to firmly mark the spot where the grave was located,so a Kohan would avoid becoming impure. Today the tradition of laying rocks is out of respect for the dead and a token of rememberance that they will always be remembered.

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