Ohel (
Hebrew: אוהל; plural: ohelim, literally, "tent")[1][2] is a structure built around a Jewish grave as a sign of prominence of the deceased. Ohelim cover the graves of some (but not all)
HasidicRebbes, important rabbis,
tzadikim, prominent Jewish community leaders, and biblical figures. Typically a small
masonry building, an ohel may include room for visitors to pray, meditate, and light candles in honor of the deceased.
Source
According to Krajewska, the tradition of covering a grave with an ohel may be based on the
Cave of the Patriarchs, in which
Abraham buried
Sarah.[2] Nolan Menachemson suggests that the Hasidic tradition of covering the graves of Rebbes with an ohel derives from the Ohel Moed ("Tent of Meeting") in which
Moses communicated with God during the
Israelites' travels in the desert.[3]
Construction
Ohelim are usually simple
masonry structures. They may include one or two windows.[2] In prewar Poland, the ohel of a Rebbe was located close by the
Hasidic court, and was big enough to accommodate a minyan of ten men beside the grave.[4]
In the case of a Hasidic Rebbe, the ohel is a place for visitors to pray, meditate, write kvitelach (petitionary prayer notes), and light candles in honor of the deceased.[6][7][8]Ohelim of Hasidic Rebbes, as well as the tombs of
tzadikim venerated by Moroccan Jews, serve as year-round pilgrimage sites, with the biggest influx of visitors coming on the Rebbe's or tzadik's
Yom Hillula (anniversary of death).[9][10]
Notable ohelim
One or more graves may be included in the same ohel. Notable ohelim include: