Greenburgh Public Library Blog

Stories behind the Stones: Reflection on Sharon Gardens

Cemeteries are a walk back in time for me. In my view, cemeteries are like a classroom for us to learn about the people, events, and customs of the past.  It amazes me how many fascinating and memorable people are buried within the borders of our community. 

I've previously taken a look at the Gate of Heaven cemetery in Valhalla and the Old Dutch Cemetery in Sleepy Hollow, and wanted to talk about who is buried in Sharon Gardens, located just 4 miles away from the Greenburgh Public Library.

Sharon Gardens is a division of the Kensico Cemetery.  Sharon Gardens has been serving Jewish communities and synagogues of the tri-state area since 1953.  

Have you ever noticed small stones on a gravestone?

I find it a fascinating custom, often associated with the Jewish faith; you'll notice small stones on grave markers, at Sharon Gardens. 

I have also observed small stones on a gravestone while visiting a family member buried in a Catholic cemetery.  For a loved one to leave a stone on the grave's monument tells the departed they are missed.  An endearing custom, as the stone marks their presence in a permanent way. 

The more stones found at a grave, the more the deceased has been visited and remembered by others.  An example would be the scene in Schindler’s List when the people that Oskar Schindler saved visit his grave and honor him by placing stones upon it.

Customs can find their roots in different cultures as mentioned in the blog "A Grave Interest" -Another reason rocks were left on the grave was based on an Eastern European folklore belief that the dead could haunt their burial place, or return to their family and cause trouble.  Stones and rocks were used to prevent the deceased from rising up and escaping the body as a spirit to torment others."  Customs do have rich and varied meanings to all cultures. 

Notable burials at Sharon Gardens 

​Elie Wiesel
September 30, 1928- July 2, 2016 
Writer, Professor, Political Activist, Holocaust Survivor, and Nobel Laureate. He authored 57 books, mostly written in French and English, including Night, a work based on his experiences as a prisoner in the concentration camps of Auschwitz, Buna, and Buchenwald. Wiesel was also the Andrew Mellon Professor of the Humanities at Boston University. 

Beverly Sills
May 25, 1929- July 2, 2007 
Ms. Sills was considered to be one of the best known opera singers of the 1960s and 1970s. She was renowned for her coloratura roles in operas around the world. Born Belle Miriam Silverman in Brooklyn, she became general manager of the New York City Opera in 1980, after retiring from her singing career. Subsequently, in 1994, Ms. Sills became Chairman of Lincoln Center and in 2002, of the Metropolitan Opera. 

Robert Merrill
June 4, 1917 - October 23, 2004 
Metropolitan Opera star who was also known for singing the national anthem at Yankee Stadium. Born the son of tailor to Abraham Merrill, and Lillian Balaban, a Polish opera star who guided him through his early musical training. In 31 consecutive seasons with the Metropolitan Opera, he performed almost every baritone role in the operatic repertoire, including Escamillo in Carmen and Figaro in The Barber of Seville. 

Visiting a cemetery allows us to honor our collective pasts, notable contributions, and remember their humanities and endurance through triumph and tragedy.   

Stop by the Greenburgh Public Library to find out more about these and other renowned historical figures. . 

Sources 
http://agraveinterest.blogspot.com/2012/04/leaving-stones-on-graves.html

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9711398/robert-merrill
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Merrill

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/20236691/beverly-sills
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverly_Sills
 

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/166354255/elie-wiesel
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elie_Wiesel