🩸

“maybe this hurts so much because we have always written our prayer into stone. in Jerusalem arched backs sway like palm branches in hot summer winds, as they whisper holy words into ash and brick their sorrow becomes sacred, even the crevices begin to weep with them. when we say goodbye to our dead a crown of pebbles, not petals, lays gently at the foot of every tomb. this is to say their memory will not be fleeting. yit'gadal v'yit'kadash sh'mei raba 170 headstones toppled. then 100 more. each crack a reminder: even in death jewish bodies do not get to know peace. maybe this hurts so much because we have always put our pain into stone. it is easier this way. boulders are lighter to carry than the weight of our dead. we have grown weary of mourning.”