Painted Tombstones

By Ruth Ellen Gruber This is a cross-post from my Jewish Heritage blog – By Ruth Ellen Gruber During my recent trip visiting Jewish heritage sites in Slovakia, I came across some artwork that demonstrated the way Jewish gravestones were often painted in various colors to emphasize the carved ornamentation. (I have posted on this [...]

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For comparison — Christian tombstones in Romania

By Ruth Ellen Gruber People sometimes ask me how the Jewish tombstones (those of men as well as women) that I’ve documented in eastern Europe differ from the Christian ones. I’m no expert in this, but I thought I would post a couple pictures of carved tombstone crosses from northern Romania. Indeed, here as elsewhere [...]

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A stone-carver’s thoughts on tradition and symbolism

By Ruth Ellen Gruber A few days ago, I posted this picture of a tombstone-carver, taken in Ukraine in 1916. Tombstone carver at work, 1916 (image from Bildarchiv, National Libraray, Vienna) The one finished tombstone that you can see is very simply carved, but clearly painted in at least three colors. It also appears that [...]

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New Page on Candlestick Typology

I just want to attention anyone reading this blog to a new permanent page I have created called “Candle Types,” on the typology of candlesticks on tombstones. I have posted representative pictures of various types of candlesticks. They range from what I would call “classic” Shabbos candles — two matched candles in individual candle-holders — [...]

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Different Tombstone Art

By Ruth Ellen Gruber Though the focus of this site and project is the representation of women in Jewish tombstone art, and particularly the use of candlesticks, it is interesting to see how women (and men) are portrayed artistically in other tombstone carving. New England — where I currently am, on a fellowship at Brandeis [...]

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Candlesticks in Piotrkow Trybunalski

Just a note — I just added a photo gallery of some of the lovely carved candlesticks (and other decoration) I photographed at the end of June  in the Jewish cemetery in Piotrkow Trybunalski, Poland.

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