The act of placing visitation stones is significant in Jewish bereavement practices. There are a number of explanations for why Jews place stones on graves, including the following:

• SIGN OF PERMANENCE: It may trace back to the Biblical times when graves were simply marked with small stone mounds. Stones are enduring and are a sign of permanence. The stones helped mark the location of the grave so that it could be located again. Later passersby would place additional stones on graves to signify their visit as an act of remembrance or respect for the deceased.

• RITUAL COURTESY: Starting during the period of the Temple in Jerusalem, Jewish priests - Kohanim became ritually impure if near a corpse. Thus, graves were marked with rocks as a result, Jewish mourners began marking graves with piles of rocks as a courtesy or warning.

• BONDED MEMORY: Rabbi Simkha Y. Weintraub, LCSW offered this interpretation, “The Hebrew word for ‘pebble’ is tz’ror – and it happens that this Hebrew word also means ‘bond.’ When we pray the memorial El Maleh Rahamim prayer we ask that the deceased be ‘bound up in the bond of life’ – tz’ror haHayyim. By placing the stone, we show that we have been there, and that the individual’s memory continues to live on in and through us.”