Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Life Goes On



I was at the central cemetery of Jerusalem this afternoon for the first time in a while. Near the entrance a fellow named Dayan has set up a small kiosk with the optimistic name of Dayan's Refreshments. How do we know? Because as you drive in you can't miss the big white sign he's put up with the name of his establishment. Underneath he has helpfully added the services he offers to mourners:

Commemorative Candles, sandwiches, hot & cold drinks, icicles

2 comments:

Yaniv said...

Oh, my.

After the services, does he go around yelling "arktic, arrrtik!"?

Anonymous said...

FROM CAROL HERMAN

You know, this is an improvement.

When I was a kid, and my mom would take me to the cemetary to visit the graves of her parents, there were always the orthodox, coming over, to "sell prayers." Since I went to a Yeshiva, I knew they were selling a few Hebrew chants. And, yes, my mom would give them money. She thought of it as a mitzva. While I'd pick up stones, so we could leave them on the tombstones, as a sign that the living were there to visit.

I'm impressed that you can now buy cold drinks.

While, just to go off topic a bit, it's been said that when Jimmy Carter dies. He's decided he doesn't want to be buried in Arlington Cemetary; preferring, instead "something reclusive" in Plains, GA. And, I remember reading "such a shame." Think of all the military people who'd go to his site and spill some champagne. Which they had consumed, first.

Dunno if the sign is supposed to represent a "breakdown" in formality, or not. But previous to this? All I knew were the jokes.