Monday, July 21, 2008
glutton for punishment? Oh yes I am!
 
Many a Jew believes that if you are tattooed you cannot be buried in a Jewish cemetery. This is one of those exciting myths passed down by Rabbis and Jewish moms alike. That's why it was interesting when a friend sent me an article that debates and dispels this very myth...

This should make for a lively debate if certain parties are still milling around my blog...
Here's the article: "For Some Jews, It Only Sounds Like ‘Taboo’"

"But the edict isn’t true. The eight rabbinical scholars interviewed for this article, from institutions like the Jewish Theological Seminary and Yeshiva University, said it’s an urban legend, most likely started because a specific cemetery had a policy against tattoos. Jewish parents and grandparents picked up on it and over time, their distaste for tattoos was presented as scriptural doctrine."

UPDATE: found another great article dispelling the myth, here.

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