Wear Your Grief On Your…Wrist?

kaddish bandsI guess we have cancer survivor Lance Armstrong and his yellow “Live Strong” campaign to thank for the ubiquity of colored rubber bracelets. You can order any color with any slogan you want on these inexpensive accessories, and I predict they’ll soon squeeze out magnetic car ribbons as the preferred American method of advertising one’s favorite cause.

Given their versatility, it certainly makes sense that someone would create Kaddish Bands, a black silcone bracelet stamped with the words of the Mourner’s Kaddish. The black bendels serve a blessed purpose by reminding those in grief of their obligation to recite Kaddish, and they’re a lot more subtle than a shredded pocket or a cloth armband. Some people have begun passing them out at funerals instead of the traditional prayer cards, though I can’t imagine my own bubbie being thrilled at this when it’s her time. “What? No rhinestones? Feh.”

While I find rubber bracelets chillingly tacky — and I abhor them even more when they’re stacked up on the arm like some homage to S&M — I appreciate the sentiment, especially since the company pledges 10% of its business to emergency services in Israel. Just as long as no one’s wearing them on the same wrist with their “I Love Yu-Gi-Oh” jobbie.

One thought on “Wear Your Grief On Your…Wrist?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *