"What is the Benefit of Adorning Him with Flowers and Greenery?" The Attitude of Rabbis in Germany and the Land of Israel in Modern Times to Laying Wreaths at Burial and Memorial Ceremonies
Rabbinic literature in modern times includes a list of halachic debates on the integration of mourning and memorial customs, originating in general society, into the Jewish traditional burial ceremony. Examples include: transporting the deceased to the cemetery in horse drawn carriages; wearing black clothes or a black ribbon on the mourner's clothing; three volley salutes at military funerals; and standing while the siren is sounded on Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day and on the Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism. The poskim (adjudicators) dealt, among other things, with the halachic attitude toward laying wreaths on coffins, graves, and memorials. Initial doubts regarding this custom began to emerge in Jewish communities in nineteenth century Europe. The issue continued to trouble halachic authorities during the twentieth century, particularly after the State of Israel was founded, and documentation of such deliberations may be found in the literature and on the internet up to present times. Laying wreaths as part of the traditional funeral ceremony has aroused bitter feelings among the ultra Orthodox public in Israel and elsewhere, as is evident particularly from the Orthodox press and the responsa literature. Then again, attempts to prevent those of the secular public interested in honoring their dear ones in this way have also been a cause of objection, generating a sense of religious coercion. One of the later manifestations of hard feelings among the general Israeli public is evident in the words of author Amos Oz and his daughter, historian Fania Oz Salzberger, prominent figures in Israeli culture. In their book "Jews and Words," they take exception to the fact that the ultraOrthodox consider the laying of wreaths on the grave a foreign custom, considering that for many years this segment of society had embraced the customs of their historical surroundings: