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Jewish Mourning Customs: The Meal of Consolation

Posted on November 15, 2018 - 9:44 pm

The stages of mourning in Judaism are intended to help family members overcome the emotional challenge of losing a loved one. While the deceased individual is buried with the Jewish monument at the beginning of this process, these traditions continue beyond this moment. In fact, Jewish mourning customs such as the shiva help people to manage these difficult emotions for a long period of time. The meal of consolation, which has been an important Jewish ritual for years, is part of this process. Read on to learn more about how to plan the meal of consolation, and its role in the grieving process.

What is the Meal of Consolation?

The meal of consolation, also known as the meal of condolence, is one of the many ways in which family and friends help families through this difficult time. To ease the stress of the family, the community often provides a meal for the mourning family. So, both the presence of the food and the warm gesture contribute to the impact of the meal of condolence. This much-needed gesture can be quite comforting after burying a loved one with a Jewish monument.

When Does the Meal of Consolation Take Place?

After burying a deceased family member beneath a Jewish monument, most people are stricken with grief. This is understandable, especially for people who have many treasured memories with their loved ones. The meal of consolation takes place after this burial process, with the goal of easing these negative emotions.

Washing Hands Before the Meal of Consolation

Following the burial, most families retire to the home where the shiva will take place. Before entering the home, it is traditional to wash one’s hands with a pitcher of water, which is placed outside. This tradition is intended to remove any impurity that contact with the deceased may have caused. The home of the shiva is generally the first place people visit after departing from the Jewish monument.

Traditional Meal of Consolation Foods

Unlike other traditional meals, meal of consolation foods are not based on heritage. Instead, foods normally consumed during the meal of condolence should be round. This is because round foods represent the cycle of life, and how as one life ends, others continue. However, there are other foods that are normally included as well.

Bread or rolls: In addition to being round, bread and rolls also represent the essence of life. Many people across several civilizations have relied on bread and rolls for sustenance. This is significant during the Meal of Condolence.
Hard boiled eggs: Eggs are another staple of the meal of consolation. As eggs continue to boil, they gradually harden. This process mirrors the way that we must remain strong during a time of loss. The egg will also remain inside the shell, which reminds mourners to refrain from speaking of idle topics.
Lentils: As compared to many similar beans, lentils have no mouths or eyes. So, eating lentils symbolizes how people who have passed on cannot be seen, and people mourning a loss should not speak to others.
Beverages: While they do not carry the symbolic value that other dishes have, it’s also traditional to serve coffee, tea, and wine. However, mourners should do so only socially, and should not become drunk.

Who Participates in the Meal of Consolation?

Traditionally, the meal of consolation was reserved only for members of the family. The same was true for burial, the preceding service, and the Jewish monument unveiling one year later. In recent years, however, this has changed. Depending upon the preferences of the family, others may be invited to participate in the meal of consolation. Close friends and extended family should wait for an invitation, rather than assume they are invited to participate.

Create the Perfect Jewish Monument

At Fox Monuments, we understand the importance of purchasing the right Jewish monument for your loved one. Especially during this time of stress, our staff is here to provide everything you need. Our team of skilled Jewish monument artists can incorporate beautiful symbols and other imagery to create a fitting memorial. If you need a Jewish headstone for your loved one, contact us.

How are Jewish Monuments Created?

Posted on September 10, 2018 - 7:08 pm

In the Jewish burial tradition, monuments play an important role in the grieving process. While they remain veiled until one year after the passing of your loved one, the Jewish monument is a place that friends and family can go to appreciate precious memories. Modern monument creation techniques allow for many features and a substantial amount of detail. This modern process helps to create a strong and fitting memorial for the deceased, and loved ones to appreciate it during visitation. In this blog post, we’ll discuss how we create Jewish monuments with the sandblasting technique.

The Sandblasting Technique Has Not Always Been Around

As previously mentioned, the Jewish unveiling ceremony is central to the memorial customs. It originated because, in ancient times, Jewish people would independently create memorials. This entire process was completed with only hand tools, requiring plenty of time and energy. So, after finishing this arduous process, they would proudly display the completed headstone to family during the ceremony.

The modern custom stems from that origin, and still allows families to appreciate the Jewish monument, and loved ones.

What is Sandblasting?

Sandblasting is a method through which people who work with stone can smooth it. This quick-yet-accurate process has changed the game for Jewish monument creators. There are four primary steps to the sandblasting process.

4 Steps to Sandblasting

1. Concept and Image Rendering Process

Before the stone sandblasting machine can do its job, the Jewish monument artist must have an idea in mind. To create a Jewish headstone, there are several choices that a family member or friend must make for the inscription. People must select how the name will appear, whether or not there will be an epitaph, and a picture, if they choose.

After choosing these important details, the Jewish monument artist then begins rendering the image with CAD software. This means formatting the various aspects of the headstone the same way that they will appear on the final headstone.

2. Creating the Template for Sandblasting

Once the final design has been rendered through CAD software, and accepted by the family of the deceased, the next step is building a template. For the headstone to have the maximum level of detail (and quality), the template must be highly accurate.

In order to create such a template, Jewish monument creators use a very specific printer. This printer will create a rough template, with the details of the design outlined. Then, the monument design artists cut out these outlined sections, which are weaker than the rest of the material. The Jewish monument artist generally uses a stencil in order to accomplish this. This ensures that the letters, headstone symbols, and all other features are clearly separated from the stencil. With the quality of the completed Jewish headstone in mind, we always create the headstone with the highest level of care.

3. Sandblasting

Now that the stencil has been created, it’s time for the Jewish monument artist to begin shaping the headstone. The first phase of this process is affixing the template to the headstone, generally using glue.

Next, the headstone is placed inside of a sandblasting booth. The Jewish monument artist stands outside of the booth, and directs heat to the specific areas of the headstone. In doing so, he or she can expose the unpolished layer of stone, creating the detailed sections of the headstone. And, the rest of the headstone will remain polished, creating a beautiful monument. The Jewish monument artist will sandblast some sections more than others, creating contrast. This process allows us to shape your ideal monument, and produce a beautiful final product.

4. Final Embellishments By Hand

After the bulk of the monument is created, the Jewish monument artist will refine these designs with hand tools. Using highly specific hand tools, the monument artist will add detail to certain parts of the design.

The Sandblasting Technique Won’t Work for All Designs

Unfortunately, there are some monument designs that are too complicated for the sandblasting technique. Some more complex images require an attention to detail that this machine simply can’t accommodate. Graphics that depict a person, or highly detailed images must be inscribed by the Jewish monument artist by hand.

Jewish Monument Design and Inscription

At Fox Monuments, we excel in helping you to remember your loved ones. Our monument artists are committed to creating headstones with an unparalleled level of detail. With your family in mind, we will create a monument that will last for years to come, and help others recall positive memories.

History of Memorial Day

Posted on May 22, 2015 - 7:48 pm

At Fox Monuments, we have great respect for everyone who has made it their purpose to serve our country. We have created countless memorials for veterans who, at some point in their lives, served our country. We have also built headstones to honor soldiers who have lost their lives in service of the military. Finally, we have created Jewish family monuments with specific symbols for families with an individual who served in the military. So, Memorial Day carries great importance to us. Read on to learn about the origins of Memorial Day, and how it is still significant to us today.

Civil War

The Civil War carries the unfortunate accolade of being the war that resulted in the most American deaths in history. As the only formal military conflict where Americans fought other Americans, it remains unmatched in death count even to this day. Following this conflict, families across the nation mourned for a long time. To honor their fallen soldiers, people in many towns held memorial services in the spring, saying commemorative prayers and decorating headstones.

One of these towns was Waterloo, NY. During the May of each year, there was a community-wide event in which businesses closed to join in commemorating soldiers who lost their lives during the Civil War. This tradition started in 1866.

In 1868, General John A. Logan, the leader of a veteran organization from the North, spread the idea of this day of remembrance across the nation. He referred to this day as “Decoration Day”, in which the community would decorate the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers. By 1890, each state recognized Decoration Day as a state holiday.

World War I

While the death count did not match the Civil War, World War I was another especially bloody conflict for the U.S. So, people sought to honor veterans of this conflict in a similar way. Instead of honoring only veterans of the Civil War, Decoration Day, now known as Memorial Day, honored veterans of all military conflicts.

In 1968, Congress passed a law making Memorial Day a federal holiday.

Some Southern states have a separate day of remembrance intended solely for soldiers who gave their lives for the Confederacy. Confederate Memorial Day is most prominent in Alabama, Mississippi, Florida and Georgia.

Modern Traditions

Even after time has passed, Memorial Day still remains a cornerstone of American culture. The solemn tradition of placing wreaths and flags on soldiers’ graves is still widely practiced. In Arlington National Cemetery, a cemetery located in Virginia, the president or vice president delivers a speech about the importance of respecting service men and women’s contributions, and places a wreath over a soldier’s grave. The playing of taps generally follows this.

Americans celebrate the contributions of soldiers in other ways, too. Many people hold Memorial Day barbeques, both as a way to give thanks to soldiers who have passed, and to start the summer.

Jewish Family Monuments

At Fox Monuments, we are dedicated to providing veterans with a respectful and fitting testament to their lives. We create Jewish family monuments and single memorials to pay tribute to their contributions. Contact us for more information about how we can create a monument suitable for you or your loved one.