Ed Koch's Tombstone

[Former NYC Mayor Ed Koch's] funeral service will be held at Temple Emanu-El in Manhattan... He will be buried in the nondenominational Trinity Church Cemetery in Upper Manhattan under a tombstone that quotes the last words of Daniel Pearl, the Wall Street Journal reporter beheaded in 2002 by Islamic terrorists (“My father is Jewish, my mother is Jewish, I am Jewish”) and includes the most familiar Jewish prayer, in English and Hebrew, (“Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One”)...

(Koch Makes His Peace and Dares to Look Ahead NYTimes)

1. Mayor Koch's Judaism is extremely important to him
   
2. New York City is very important to him as well
   

It is a beautiful stone.  There is a Star of David on top.  The Shema prayer on the bottom.  But I'm fixated on Daniel Pearl's last words.  

“My father is Jewish, my mother is Jewish, I am Jewish”

We practice Judaism differently.  But we are Jews.  And we want to die as Jews.  We live our lives differently.  We have different values and beliefs.  But we believe that our Judaism is important to us.  

Mayor Koch is a staunch defender of Israel and Jewish causes.  He wears his Judaism on his sleeve.  His choice of burial place, Trinity Church Cemetery (technically a non-denominational cemetery) isn't a Jewish cemetery.  He loves New York City, and this is one of NYC's most significant cemeteries.  Despite not being in a Jewish cemetery, Mayor Koch's burial place will be a reminder to people to value their Judaism.  

He is sending a message to be proud of your Judaism.  Judaism isn't going to hold you back.  You can be a Jew and Mayor of New York City (Koch, and Bloomberg as well), or a Congressman, Senator, or Vice Presidential candidate.  Mayor Koch will be leaving an important legacy through his stone.

A person's tombstone should be a reflection of their life, and how they wish to be remembered.  Mayor Koch wants to be remembered as a Jew.  That's a lesson for all of us.