Could That Colorful 'Hunk'
Keep You Out Of A Cemetery?
ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Q: Is it true that Jews who have a tattoo must
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Jewish cemeteries?
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seems to be a widespread belief and
A:
may even have been a practice in certain
communities, yet there is no basis for it in Ha-
lachah (Jewish law).
Tattoos, made by puncturing the skin and in-
graining indelible pigment, are forbidden by Ha-
lachah. So are eating pork and violating the
Sabbath, yet Jews do these all the time and are
not refused burial in a Jewish cemetery.
In any case, Jews traditionally have regard-
ed tattooing as a gentile practice. Today, few
members of the Jewish community can be
seen sporting "Hunk" or "Mom" scrawled
across their brawny arms.
Q: Where is Sarah Bernhardt buried?
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Dramatic in every sense of the word, this
actress (born Rosine Bernard in 1844) is
buried in one of Paris' most famous and presti-
gious cemeteries, Pere Lachaise. (Others buried
there include Honore de Balzac, Doors singer Jim
Morrison and Joseph Ignace Guillotine — hope
that distinguished final resting place didn't go to
his head.)
Sarah Bernhardt was the eldest of three ille-
gitimate daughters born to Judith Van Hard, a
Jewish-Dutch music teacher. (Van Hard had her
daughters baptized as children, but Sarah Con-
tinued to be proud of her Jewish heritage.)
Sarah made her acting debut in 1862 as Iphi-
genie in Racine's Iphigenie en Aulicle. She quick-
ly became one of the most popular actresses in
the world, appearing on the stage in Russia, Eng-
land, Germany and the United States, among oth-
ers. Victor Hugo labeled her the "Divine Sarah."
One of Sarah Bernhardt's most curious habits
was sleeping in a coffin, a custom that became
permanent when she died in 1923.
Q: Do Orthodox Jews prefer sons and mourn
the birth of a daughter?
A
. Among all Orthodox Jews the
. birth of either a male or female
child is always regarded as blessed and
an occasion for joy. There is nothing in Ha-
lachah that says the life of a boy is more
valuable or that the birth of a son, and not
a daughter, should be celebrated.
Some Orthodox Jews do express a pref-
erence for boys, feeling that sons — espe-
cially those who become talmudic scholars
— bring greater honor to the family than
daughters, who have no scholarly oblig-
ations.
Other Orthodox Jews hope for the
daughters, regarding girls, who as wives
traditionally determine the character of
the family, of greater importance than
sons.
If a scientific survey were done, it prob-
ably would find that most Orthodox Jews
are like most other people: What they
want is a healthy baby, no matter what
the sex.
Send questions to "Tell Me Why" c I o The Jewish News, 27676 Franklin Rd., Southfield, MI 48034