Jewish cemetery
A Jewish cemetery (Hebrew בית עלמין) ("beit alamin" or "beit kvarot") is a cemetery where members of the Jewish faith are buried in keeping with Jewish tradition.
Known in Hebrew as "house of eternity," the land of the cemetery is considered holy and a special consecration ceremony takes place on its inauguration. Establishing a cemetery is one of the first priorities for a new Jewish community. A Jewish cemetery is generally purchased and supported with communal funds.[1]
History
Early Jewish cemeteries were located outside of the city. In the Diaspora, it is traditional to bury the dead with the feet in the direction of Jerusalem. The tombstones usually have inscriptions in Hebrew and the regional language. During the Nazi Germany regime, Jewish cemeteries all over Europe were destroyed and desecrated.
The largest Jewish cemeteries of Europe can be found in Budapest, Łódź, Prague, Warsaw, Vienna and Berlin. Other Jewish cemeteries in Europe include the Jewish Cemetery in Khotyn and the Chatam Sofer Memorial (part of the Old Jewish Cemetery in Bratislava).
Jewish cemeteries of Budapest
Dohány Street Jewish Cemetery
It is not customary to have a cemetery next to a synagouge, the establishment of the 3000 m2 cemetery was the result of historical circumstances. In 1944, as a part of the Eichmann-plan, 70.000 Jews were relocated to the Ghetto of Pest. Until 18th of January, 1945, when the Russians liberated the ghetto, around 8-10.000 people had died, altough, one part of the deceased were transferred to the Kozma Street Cemetery, but 2.000 people were buried in the makeshift cemetery. In memory of those who had died, there is a memorial by the sculptor, Imre Varga, depicting a weeping willow with the names and tattoo numbers of the dead and disappeared just behind the Synagogue, in the Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Park.
Address: Budapest, VII. Dohány u. 2.
Jewish Cemetery of Aquincum (Old Buda)
The cemetery was opened by the Jewish community in 1922. The opening speech was held by Ignác Schreiber, a young rabbi, who died only 3 days later, becoming the first person to be buried there. Later the ashes of Mózes Müncz, Gyula Wellesz and Gyula Klein, Chief Rabbis of Aquincum were brought here. The tomb of Mózes Müncz is a significant place of pilgrimage. In the cemetery, there can be found the tombs of the Maros Street Hospital’s 149 victims, who were murdered by the members of the Hungarian arrow-cross army, patients, doctors and nurses alike. Furthermore, here lie some of the renowned artists and scientifists, for instance the victim of fascism, writer Endre Andor Gelléri, and the internationally famous psychologist, Ferenc Mérei.
Address: Budapest, III. Külső Bécsi út 369.
Hungary’ largest Jewish cemetery, which was created together with the establishment of the New Public Cemetery. Dignitaries of religious, cultural and artistic life were buried here. The row of mausoleums next to the wall of the Kozma Street Cemetery, is a notable landmark, as the tombs were designed by famous architects. The monumental, white mortuary was built in 1891 according to the plans of William Freund, the lions at the entrance are connected to Alajos Stróbl. In 1949 the Holocaust-memorial was created according to the plans of Alfréd Hajós, on its stone pylons the names of thousands of victims can be read.
Address: Budapest, X. Kozma u. 6
In the United States, the Coming Street Cemetery in Charleston, South Carolina, Mikveh Israel Cemetery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Hebrew Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia, B' Nai Israel Cemetery in Ashland, Wisconsin, and the Old Jewish Cemetery in Cincinnati, Ohio, are some of the country's oldest Jewish cemeteries.
The mission of the International Jewish Cemetery Project is to document every Jewish burial site in the world. [2]
See also
References
