Memory Stones

Each set of stones is bagged for safe keeping

Four sets of memorial stones were ordered to accompany the four Yahrzeit candle bridges.

They are wrapped , packed, and ready to be shipped. 

As I worked with each of these memorial stones, I felt the incredible power of NAMING.

Our tradition of formally remembering those who have passed on the anniversary of their death is quite powerful. Uttering their names, calling up who they were makes it all the more meaningful.

We are remembered by our good names. All that we do contributes to who we are/were.

Even though I didn't know these individuals, names like Papa, Bubbie, and Zeydeh, stirred something deep inside. 

I sat outside with the finished stones and called up my own ancestors. I expressed gratitude for the legacies they passed on to me. My forested backyard held singing birds, playful squirrels, and for just a moment, my parents and grandparents and all others who came before me. 

It seems fitting that I follow this with a talk today at a local high school about the Holocaust and the story of my family- a story of memory and survival.