Westlawn Cemetery
| Westlawn Cemetery | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Details | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| Type | Public |
| Style | Jewish cemetery |
| Size | 72 acres (29 ha) |
| No. of interments | 46,000 |
Westlawn Cemetery is a Jewish cemetery located in Norridge, Illinois. The cemetery covers 72 acres (29 ha) and roughly 46,000 people are buried there.
Notable interments
- Jack Ruby, convicted of the murder of Lee Harvey Oswald
- Abe Saperstein, creator of the Savoy Big Five, precursor of the Harlem Globetrotters
- Shel Silverstein, creative author and cartoonist of children's books
- Gene Siskel, film critic
- Evelyn Wakely
Vandalism
Westlawn was the site of gravestone desecration in January 2008. At least 57 tombstones were defaced with anti-Semitic slogans. Using white and blue spray paint, the vandal drew swastikas and slurs on tombstones in a western section of the cemetery. A 21 year old Polish immigrant male was charged with the crime in February 2008. If convicted of institutional vandalism, the alleged perpetrator faces up to 7 years in prison. He has been directly linked by police to a neo-Nazi organization in the Chicago area.
External links
- "Westlawn Jewish Funerals". Retrieved 2009-10-09.
- 41°57′28.80″N 87°49′36.12″W / 41.9580000°N 87.8267000°W
- Google Maps view of the cemetery
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