How to Choose an Epitaph for Memorialization
An epitaph is an opportunity to forever memorialize your loved one. The right epitaph can offer comfort to those who visit the person’s grave and help express who the person was in life. When choosing an epitaph to inscribe on your loved one’s memorial, it’s important to take your time and keep the person in mind. How will they be remembered? What was their personality? These questions may help when choosing an epitaph for the headstone.
There is no right or wrong way to write an epitaph, and our team at Gaitz Memorials is here to offer guidance and support during this difficult time. We understand how important this process is and can help you customize the headstone to your loved one.
We offer both English inscriptions and Hebrew inscriptions to help you create an epitaph that your loved one would be proud of. We offer Hebrew translation and character carvings and etchings in the granite to provide an enduring remembrance of your loved one. Hebrew translations are approved by the rabbi to ensure accuracy for your epitaph.
Most epitaphs reflect on the person’s character, spiritual beliefs, or relationships. There are many traditional epitaphs to choose from, or you can create your own. Some common epitaphs that may help you memorialize your loved one include:
- Verses from scripture
- Famous quotes
- “Rest in peace”
- “In loving memory”
- “Until we meet again”
- “Gone but not forgotten”
- “Beloved mother/father, son/daughter, brother/sister, and friend”
Looking at other inscriptions may help provide you with inspiration as you decide on the right engraving for your loved one. Epitaphs are a short, timeless way to commemorate and celebrate your loved one’s life. The epitaph you choose can be as unique or as customary as you like to help you create a headstone that suits the deceased.
Hebrew Carvings & Epitaphs
Jewish grave markers in Houston generally utilize both Hebrew and English text. Most Jewish epithets begin with a Hebrew abbreviation for “here lies,” followed by the person’s name in Hebrew and English. The inscription may also list the name of the deceased’s parents in Hebrew. Date of birth and death can be listed in either the English or the Hebrew calendar. Many jewish headstones close with Hebrew characters for a customary epitaph “may his/her soul be bound in the bond of everlasting life.” This traditional closing is a paraphrasing of Abigail’s words to King David in I Samuel 25:29, “But my lord’s soul shall be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord your God…”
Your epitaph may also feature symbols to help honor the person’s life. For example, you might choose the Star of David, the menorah, the Ten Commandments, the eternal flame, or candlesticks to ornament the grave marker of your loved one. These symbols help express love and remembrance where words may fail. Epitaphs and inscriptions have been a common practice in Judaism since ancient times, as they help honor our loved ones and help us remember their lives.
If you need help choosing an epitaph that suits your deceased loved one, please reach out to us. Our team offers compassionate, expert assistance for Jewish headstone design and inscriptions.