Tattoos for Jews?
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- July
- 21
Everyone has heard at some point that Jews with tattoos cannot be buried in a Jewish cemetery.
But is it true?
I was talking to my colleague Noreen O’Donnell yesterday about how it seems that everyone has tattoos these days. I mean, even 10 years ago, you rarely saw tattoos on anyone other than bikers and old Navy guys. Then women started getting those little ones on their ankles—hearts and flowers—and young guys started getting them around their temporarily flush biceps.
Now tattoos are mainstream. People from all walks of life are getting them—big, colorful ones.
But what about Jews and the whole cemetery prohibition thing? It seems that rabbis are pretty much in agreement that tattoos are contrary to Jewish law and tradition.
But the cemetery thing may be a folktale.
I came across a formal position from a Conservative rabbi—a responsum—about tattoos that reached this conclusion: “Tattooing is an explicit prohibition from the Torah. However, those who violate this prohibition may be buried in a Jewish cemetery and participate fully in all synagogue ritual. While no sanctions are imposed, the practice should continue to be discouraged as a violation of the Torah. At all times a Jew should remember that we are created b’tzelem Elokim. We are called upon to incorporate this understanding into all our decisions.”
The key to the overall prohibition seems to be Leviticus 19:28: “You shall not make gashes in your flesh for the dead, or incise any marks on yourselves: I am the Lord.”
An Orthodox rabbi, speaking in a video on Aish.com, puts it like this: “Our bodies are on loan to us, on loan from God. He gives us these bodies for X number of years. But these bodies don’t belong to us.”
But what about the cemetery thing? Last year, the NYTimes interviewed eight rabbinical scholars from different traditions, who agreed that the cemetery prohibition is a myth.
Finally, a filmmaker from LA named Andy Abrams actually made a film about why Jews get tattoos. It’s called Tattoo Jews.
The website explains: “This is not simply a story about Jewish people with tattoos. It is an examination about the ways in which we all express and define our cultural identity. Tattoo Jew is about the balance between individuality and a sense of belonging.”
Photo: www.tattoojewmovie.com
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, July 21st, 2009 at 11:03 am by Gary Stern.
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Category: "Tattoo Jews", Aish.com, Andy Abrams, Jewish cemeteries, Jewish law, Jews, Leviticus, Responsum, Tattoos
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The world of religion, we don't have to tell you, is vast. The purpose of this blog is for Stern to note, flag and comment on some of the more interesting religious developments on the scene – weighty and quirky, somber and laughable, far away and just down the road. He won't interpret Scripture, take sides in conflicts or judge anyone. But he will take advantage of the journalist's license to observe.
lemmy get this straight. You asked a Conservative rabbi for his opinion on a traditional Jewish matter? oxymoron, no?
I love all kinds of tattoos! These are some of my favorites. Thanx