Yahrzeit Memorials at Temple Akiba

The primary source of light in Temple Akiba’s Memorial Chapel emanates from the names of loved ones who have passed. The plaques themselves are dematerialized, suggesting the absence of physicality (body) and the presence of the light and love which remains in the hearts, minds, and memories of the living. Yahrzeits are marked with a simple hexagonal ledge saddled to a plaque for a gathering of small stones, recalling the ancient tradition of gathering stones at a grave site, as Abraham did for Sarah, and the lasting tradition of placing pebbles on headstones in a cemetery by loved ones to mark a visit.