cincinnati's jewish history

Cincinnati’sJewishHistory

JewishCemeteriesofGreaterCincinnati

1WalnutHillsCemetery 2CovedaleCemeteries 3PriceHillCemeteries(SunsetAvenue)

4PriceHillCemeteries(RosemontAvenue)

5CliftonCemetery 6ChestnutSt.Cemetery 7MontgomeryCemetery 8HamiltonCemetery

JEWISHCEMETERIESOFGREATERCINCINNATI

WhileJewishCemeteriesofGreaterCincinnati(JCGC)beganoperationsjustafewyearsagoin2008,thecemeteriesthatarepartofJCGChaveamuchlongerandveryrichhistory.Wearepleasedtobeabletobringsomeofthathistorytoyouinthispresentation.-DavidHoguet,ExecutiveDirector*AspecialthankstoTheJacobRaderMarcusCenteroftheAmericanJewishArchives,locatedonthehistoricCincinnaticampusofHebrewUnionCollege,whoprovidedcontentfortheWalnutHillsCemeteryportionofthepresentation.

CHESTNUTSTREETCEMETERY

CHESTNUTSTREETIn1821,whenBenjaminLieb(orLape),whohadnotbeenknownasaJew,wasdying,hebeggedtobeburiedasaJew.TherewasnoJewishburialgroundinthetown.MorrisMosesandJosephJonas,twoofCincinnati'ssixJews,proceededtoacquireasmallplotofgroundfromNicholasLongworthtobeusedasacemeterytoburyLieb.TheChestnutStreetCemeteryistheoldestJewishcemeterywestoftheAllegheniesandislocatedintheBetts-LongworthHistoricDistrictintheWestEnd.TheCemeteryissitedonasmallplotenclosedbyhighwallsandalockedgate.

Thecemeteryhas85gravesandhasbeenclosedsince1849afterthecholeraepidemicfilledit.

CHESTNUTSTREET

CHESTNUTSTREET

CincinnatiEnquirer,April30,1931

WALNUTHILLSCEMETERY

WALNUTHILLSCEMETERY

TheWalnutHillscemeteryopenedin1850.UnitedJewishCemeterieswasfoundedin1854byRockdaleTempleandWiseTempletooverseeandcareforthecemetery.UJCgrewtooverseeandmaintainallofCincinnati'sReformJewishcemeteries.Thecemetery,whichis10.5acres,containstheremainsofmanynotablesfromCincinnati'sJewishhistory.

WALNUTHILLSCEMETERY

NOTABLEINTERMENTSRabbiIsaacMayerWise,1819–1900,envisionedanAmericanJewryforAmericanJews.Theresultsofthatvision–theHebrewUnionCollege,theUnionforReformJudaismandtheCentralConferenceofAmericanRabbis–continuetothisdaytoserveasthepillarsofAmericanReformJudaism.Asapulpitrabbi,asacommunityleader(founderandeditorofTheAmericanIsraelite),asarabbinicleader(publisherofMinhagAmerica),andasafoundingpresidentofHUC,IsaacMayerWisewas–andremains–oneofthemostinfluentialshapersofJewishlifeinAmerica.

WALNUTHILLSCEMETERY

NOTABLEINTERMENTSDavidUrbansky,1843–1897,wasawardedtheCongressionalMedalofHonorforgallantryinbattleatVicksburgandShilohduringtheAmericanCivilWar–oneofsixUnionJewishsoldierstoreceivethisaward.BorninPrussia,Urbansky’sfamilysettlednearColumbus,Ohio.HevolunteeredfortheUnionArmyin1861attheageof18eventhoughhewasnotyetanAmericancitizen.Neverregainingfullhealthafterthewar,UrbanskydiedinPiquain1897.Sometimeafter,hisfamilymovedtoCincinnatiandtransferredhisremainstoWalnutHills.

WALNUTHILLSCEMETERY

NOTABLEINTERMENTSJacobMarcus,1896–1995,cametoHUCasa15-year-oldstudentin1911andneverleft.MarcusjoinedtheHUCfacultyin1920immediatelyafterordination.AfterreceivingaPh.D.fromtheUniversityofBerlin,MarcusspenthisearlyyearsasanacademicfocusingonEuropeanJewishhistory.Inthe1940’shebegantoemphasizeAmericanJewishhistory,resultinginhisfoundingoftheAmericanJewishArchivesin1947andtheAmericanJewishPeriodicalCenterin1956.Marcuswasaprolificauthorandbecameknownasthe“DeanofAmericanJewishHistory.”In1950heservedasCCARpresidentandwaslaternamedlifetimehonoraryPresident.

WALNUTHILLSCEMETERY

NOTABLEINTERMENTSMurraySeasongood,1878–1983,ignitedtheCharteritereformmovementinCincinnatiwithafieryanti-taxspeech(labeledbynewspapersasthe"ShotHeard'RoundtheWards")onOctober9,1923.HebecameCincinnati’sfirstCharteritemayorandservedasMayorfrom1926to1930,becomingnationallyknownforhisreformefforts.Hewasnamedasoneofthe100GreatestOhioCitizensin1974.

WALNUTHILLSCEMETERY

NOTABLEINTERMENTSMaxLilienthal,1814–1882,ontherecommendationoffamedGermanRabbiLudwigPhilippson,wasnamedthedirectoroftheJewishschoolinRigain1839.In1841,attherequestoftheRussianMinisterofEducation,LilienthalwasappointedtoleadanefforttoreformRussianJewishschoolsbyestablishingstateschoolsmodeleduponEuropean-styleeducation.Lilienthal’seffortsinthismatterwereentirelyunsuccessfulandweremetbygreatresistancefromalmostallRussianJews.In1845LilienthalleftRussiaandcametotheUnitedStates,whereheservedasrabbiofseveralcongregationsinNewYorkCityuntil1850.HebecamerabbiatK.K.BeneIsraelinCincinnatiin1854,whereheserveduntilhisdeath.HewasanactivereformeraswellasafriendandsupporterofIsaacMayerWiseandofWise’seffortstobeginaseminaryinCincinnati.

WALNUTHILLSCEMETERY

NOTABLEINTERMENTSFredericWilliamZiv,1905–2001,wasborninCincinnati,thesonofimmigrantsfromLithuaniaandBessarabia.AnAmericanbroadcastingproducerandsyndicator,heisconsideredthefatheroftelevisionsyndicationandonceoperatedthenation'slargestindependenttelevisionproductioncompany.Afteranearliercareerinadvertisingandradiosyndication,hestartedZivTelevisionProductionsin1949,producingpopularshowssuchasTheCiscoKid,HighwayPatrol,BatMastersonandSeaHunt.Hehadaneyeforyoungtalent–bringingalongsuchstarsasClintEastwood,RobertRedford,MaryTylerMoore,SteveMcQueen,AngieDickinson,andJamesGarner.AftersellingtheCompanytoUnitedArtistsintheearly1960’s,ZivbecameaprofessorofbroadcastingandadvertisingattheUniversityofCincinnatiforovertwentyyearsbeforeheretired.

CLIFTONCEMETERY

CLIFTONCEMETERY

SoonafterbuyingthelandtheCliftoncemeterysitsonin1848,afterhis

neighborslethimknowtheywouldpreferifhebuilthishouseelsewhere,CharlesKahnsoldittotheAhabethAchimcongregation(laterSherithIsrael).Mr.Kahnsaidtohisneighbors,“Verywell,gentlemen,ifyoudonotcaretohaveaJewlivingnearyou,youcannotobjecttodeadJews,andyoushallhavemanyofthese,formanyyears,innoconditiontooffendyou.”SherithIsraelmergedwithWiseTemplein1931.Thecemeteryis1.3acresandaboutonemilefromtheHUCcampus.

CLIFTONCEMETERY

NOTABLEINTERMENTSRabbiAlfredGottschalk,1930–2009,borninGermany,grewupinBrooklyn,PresidentofHebrewUnionCollegefrom1971–2000.OrdainedthefirstfemaleUSrabbiin1972andthefirstfemalerabbiinIsraelin1992.InstrumentalinthedevelopmentoftheUnitedStatesHolocaustMemorialMuseum,openedin1993,andPresidentofMuseumofJewishHeritage–ALivingMemorialtotheHolocaustfrom2000–2003.Dr.Gottschalk’smonumentismadeofJerusalemstone.

COVEDALECEMETERIES

COVEDALECEMETERIES

AlltheCovedalecemeteriesareOrthodoxcemeterieswiththeexceptionofNorthernHills,whichisaConservativecemetery.MostoftheCovedalecemeteriesopenedintheearly1900’s.

COVEDALECEMETERIESAndersonFerryEntrance

TheAndersonFerryentranceleadstothreeGolfManorcemeteriestotaling1.2acres(GolfManor#1,#2and#3),andtwocemeteriesGolfManortookover,BethJacob/PriceHill(0.4acres)andBethHamidrashHagodol(3.9acres),priortothemergerwithJCGC.AmericanBeneficialSociety(0.3acres),whichwasestablishedasaburialsocietyin1913,isalsoaccessedthroughtheAndersonFerryentrance.

KnesethIsraelEntranceKnesethIsrael(0.6acres)isonthecornerofAndersonFerryandSidneyRoads,withtheentranceonSidney.

COVEDALECEMETERIESSidneyRoadEntrance

YadChorutzim(0.6acres)andTiferethIsrael(0.4acres)wereownedbyNorthAvondaleSynagogue,whichclosedin1997.TiferethIsraelCongregationformedin1906andoccupiedabuildingonVictoryParkwayinWalnutHillsfrom1916–1948.NorthernHillsCemetery(0.3acres)wasoriginallythecemeteryofCongregationB’naiAvraham(NorwoodCongregation)whichwasstartedin1912.B’naiAvrahammergedwithNorthernHillsSynagoguein1967.NewHopeCemetery(0.4acres)wasaffiliatedwithNewHopeCongregation,whichstartedin1939tomeettheneedsandsensitivitiesofrefugeesandlatersurvivorsfromEurope.NewHopeCongregationclosedin1994.

COVEDALECEMETERIES

NOTABLEINTERMENTSKNESETHISRAELRabbiEliezerSilver,1882–1968,wasborninLithuaniaandimmigratedtotheUSin1907,whereheacceptedarabbinicalpositioninHarrisburg,PA.HisTorahscholarshipsoondrewhimintoleadingOrthodoxcirclesonthenationallevel.RabbiSilverwasactiveinreliefeffortsinWorldWarI.In1925hemovedtoSpringfield,MA.In1932,heacceptedaninvitationtobecomeRabbiinCincinnatiatKnesethIsrael.HebecameheadoftheVa’adHoier,makinghimtheultimatehalachicauthorityoverothersynagoguesbelongingtotheVa’ad.In1939,SilverconvenedanemergencymeetinginNewYorkCitytodiscusstherecentdevelopmentsinNazi-occupiedEurope.AtthismeetingtheVa’adHatzalah,orRescueCommittee,wasformed,withRabbiSilveraspresident.Helaunchedafund-raisingcampaign,collectingmorethan$5million,whichhelpedtoprovide2,000visastoJewishrefugeesinEasternEurope.

COVEDALECEMETERIES

NOTABLEINTERMENTSTIFERETHISRAELRabbiBernardKalchman,1898-1966,RabbiatBethIsrael,Hamilton,from1933–1946,laterbecamerabbiatYadChorutzim(NorthAvondale).

PRICEHILLCEMETERIESWestSideofSunset

Avenue

PRICEHILLCEMETERIESJudahTouro

JudahTouro(8.5acres)wasoneofthefirstcemeteriesestablishedinPriceHillandisaReformcemetery.Itsconstitutionwasestablishedin1855andthefirstburialstookplacein1856.JudahTourohasahouseonthepropertywhichislivedinbyafamilywhonowperformssecurityworkforJCGConallthePriceHillcemeteries.MembersofthisfamilyhaveservedascaretakersatJudahTouroforsometime.

PRICEHILLCEMETERIESSchachnus/Montefiore

Schachnus/BethTefyla(1.9acres)wasestablishedin1874subsequenttothefoundingofBethTefylacongregationbyRabbiSchachneIsaacsandisanOrthodoxcemetery.MontefioreMutualBenefitSociety,foundedin1871toprovideasocialoreducationalframeworkformembersandtheirfamiliestosupporteachother,alsofunctionedasaburialsocietyandlaterpurchasedland(0.5acres)foritscemeteryfromBethTefyla.SchachnusandMontefioreshareanentrance.

PRICEHILLCEMETERIESSchachnus/BethTefyla

NOTABLEINTERMENTSSchachneIsaacs,1811–1887,immigratedfromLithuaniaandarrivedintheCincinnatiareabywayofNewYorkin1856.HeopenedageneralstoreinDarrtown,latermovingtoCincinnatiwhereheenteredthewholesaledrygoodsbusiness.HewasvigilantintheobservanceofOrthodoxy.Whenhiscongregationfailedtoincludeplansforamikvahinaproposedbuilding,heresignedinprotestandstartedhisowncongregation,BethTefyla,in1869.ItisstillknownasRebSchachne’sShul.


NOTABLEINTERMENTSRabbiAbrahamJ.G.Lesser,1835–1925,wasarabbiinRussiaandcametoChicagoin1880wherehewaselectedpresidentoftheUnionofOrthodoxRabbis.HecametoCincinnatiinthe1890’sandwasconsideredCincinnati’sOrthodoxchiefrabbiinthefirstdecadeofthetwentiethcentury.GraveLocation–Privateplotontherightatthewalkwaythatgoesintothecemetery.


NOTABLEINTERMENTSRabbiBetzalelEpstein,1878–1938,originallyfromEstonia,becameRabbiofBnaiJacobin1929;BnaiJacobmergedwithAgudasIsrael(GolfManor)in1933,withRabbiEpsteinbecomingtheRabbiofthemergedcongregation.RabbiEpsteinclashedwithRabbiSilverashesupervisedhisownKashrutanddidnotjointheVa’adHoierorganizedbyRabbiSilverinthe1930’s.

PRICEHILLCEMETERIESHirshHoffert/ChesedChelEmmes

HirshHoffert(1.3acres)andChesedChelEmmes(1.2acres)aretothewestofJudahTouroandshareanentrance.BothcemeteriesareOrthodox.HirshHoffertstartedasaburialassociation.ChesedChelEmmeswasfoundedin1921andhistoricallyprovidedburialspacetomembersofthecommunitywhosefinancialcircumstancesmightnotallowthemtopayanyorallofthecostsofaburialspace.ChesedChelEmmesisnotpartofJCGC.

PRICEHILLCEMETERIESEastSideofSunsetAvenue

PRICEHILLCEMETERIESAdathIsraelCemetery

AdathIsraelCemetery(4.9acres)isthenorthernmostcemeteryontheeastsideofSunsetAvenueandhasitsentranceonSunset.ItisaffiliatedwithAdathIsraelCongregationwhichwasstartedin1846byGermanPolishJews.ItisaConservativecemetery.


NOTABLEINTERMENTSRabbiBernardIllowy,1814–1875,borninBohemia,cametotheUSin1848.HewastherabbiatShaareZedekinNewYorkCity,RodelphShalominPhiladelphia,UnitedHebrewCongregationinSt.Louis,KnesetShalominSyracuse,StadtShuleinBaltimore,andShangaraiHasedinNewOrleans.HecametoCincinnatiin1865asRabbiofAhabethAchim,whichlatermergedwithSherithIsrael.HewasknownasaneminentTalmudist,apowerfulpreacher,andastrictadherentofOrthodoxJudaism.Heengagedinfierce,polemicalwarfarewiththeleadersoftheReformmovementbutwasalsogreatfriendswiththeseleaders.RabbisWiseandLilienthalgaveeulogiesathisfuneral.Hediedinanaccidentwhentheaxleofhisbuggybrokeandhewasthrowntotheground,leavinghimparalyzed.


NOTABLEINTERMENTSRabbiLouisFeinberg,1887–1949,borninLithuania,attendedhighschoolinPhiladelphiaandcollegeatUniversityofPennsylvania,ordainedatJewishTheologicalSeminaryin1916.HewasrabbiatAdathIsraelfrom1918–1949.Hemodernizedthelifeandprogramofthesynagogueinreligious,educationalandculturalmatters,andalsomovedthecongregationtoitsLexingtonandReadingRoadslocationin1927.

PRICEHILLCEMETERIESUnitedJewishCemeteries–PriceHill/LoveBrothers

UnitedJewishCemeteries–PriceHill(1.9acres)istothesouthofAdathIsraelandhasitsentranceonRosemontAvenueThiscemeterywasoriginallytheSherithIsraelcemetery,establishedin1857,andbecameaUnitedJewishCemeteriesmemberafterthe1931mergerofBeneYeshurunCongregationwithCongregationSherithIsraeltoformtheIsaacM.WiseTemple.ItisaReformcemetery.LoveBrothersCemetery(7.2acres)istothesouthofUJC–PriceHillandalsohasitsentranceonRosemont.ItisaffiliatedwithOhavShalomCongregation.OhavShalomwasfoundedin1882andthecemeterywasincorporatedin1903.Spanish–HebrewSociety(0.1acres)islocatedinsideLoveBrothersandisnotpartofJCGC.ThecemeterywasaffiliatedwiththeSephardicBethShalomSynagoguewhichstartedin1913andclosedin1993.LoveBrothersisaConservativecemeteryandSpanish-HebrewisanOrthodoxcemetery.

MONTGOMERYCEMETERY

MONTGOMERYCEMETERY

Bythe1960s,alargesegmentofCincinnati’sReformJewishcommunityhadmigratedtothenortheasternquadrantofthecommunity.UJCacquiredlandinthecommunityofMontgomeryanddevelopedacemetery,nowJCGC’smostactivecemetery.ThecemeterysubsequentlydevelopedaConservativesection,aswellasasectionforAdathIsraelCongregation.Thecemeteryis11.5acres.

HAMILTONCEMETERY

HAMILTONCEMETERY

Formanyyears,avibrantReformJewishcommunityinHamilton,Ohio,worshipedatTempleBeneIsrael,whichmaintainedasmallcemeteryonPleasantAvenue,adjoiningacemeteryownedbyaConservativecongregationthere.Ashighwaysandautomobilesimproved,manyofBeneIsrael’smembersmigratedtolargercongregationsinCincinnati.In1970,BeneIsraelbecameaffiliatedwithWiseTemple,andsubsequentlythecemetery,whichis.9acres,becamepartofUJC.

CONTACTJewishCemeteriesofGreaterCincinnati3400MontgomeryRd.Cincinnati,[email protected]

cincinnati's jewish history

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