 What makes a cemetery “Jewish”  The important role of Jewish burial societies and “landsmanschaft”  How to locate the cemetery where your ancestor is buried  How to read a Jewish tombstone and what the symbols on Jewish tombstones mean  What JOWBR is and how to use it  The resources that are available to help you research Jewish cemeteries

1. Has physical boundaries that set the cemetery off from its surroundings, holy for Jews. 2.Is considered consecrated ground where Jewish burial practices and customs are observed. 3.Is owned by the Jewish community; has rules and regulations authorized by a Board of Directors. 4.Only Jewish symbols are permitted on a Jewish cemetery. 5.Only Jewish clergy or lay people may officiate at a burial services or any other service in a Jewish cemetery. 6.Perpetual care funds are managed by and for the care of the Jewish cemetery 7.Closed on Shabbat and all major Jewish holidays

 The purchase contract stipulates that the area of the plot is designed exclusively for Jews.  Burials are permanent; the cemetery corporation does not have any authority over graves in the cemetery.  All facilities for Jews and non-Jews are absolutely separate – with separate entrance gates and sections.

 Make sure you have the right cemetery.  Determine who has administrative responsibility for the cemetery.  Make contact with the responsible agency or person.  Request copy of all records.

 Family Stories  Death Certificates  Obituaries  Memory Cards  Websites

What is it? Combination of 2 databases Burial records Information about each particular cemetery What does it contain? Over 1 million cemetery and burial records worldwide Names and other identifying information Photographs of gravestones Data accepted only for entire cemetery, landsmanschaften, or organization within a larger cemetery

Cemeteries in New Haven

These are the gravestones of the sons of my great, great grandfather Elizer Halevi. They are all buried in the same cemetery within several rows of each other.

These are the gravestones of the known daughters and sons of my great grandfather Woolf (Zev Dov) Goldblatt. They are buried in different cemeteries within 2 blocks of each other.

Cemeteries in New Haven