Hebrew Cemetery (Richmond, Virginia)

The Hebrew Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia, also known as Hebrew Burying Ground, and previously the Jew's Burying Ground, dates from 1816. This Jewish cemetery, one of the oldest in the United States, was founded in 1816 as successor to the Franklin Street Burial Grounds of 1789. Among those interred here is Josephine Cohen Joel, who was well known in the early 20th century as the founder of Richmond Art Co. Within Hebrew Cemetery is a plot known as the Soldier's Section. It contains the graves of 30 Jewish Confederate soldiers who died in or near Richmond. It is one of only two Jewish military cemeteries outside of the State of Israel.[3]

Hebrew Cemetery
Hebrew Cemetery (Richmond, Virginia) is located in Virginia
Hebrew Cemetery (Richmond, Virginia)
Hebrew Cemetery (Richmond, Virginia) is located in the United States
Hebrew Cemetery (Richmond, Virginia)
Location400 Hospital St., Richmond, Virginia
Coordinates37°33′08″N 77°25′46″W / 37.55222°N 77.42944°W / 37.55222; -77.42944
Built1816
ArchitectDimmock, James
Architectural styleRomanesque
NRHP reference No.06000348[1]
VLR No.127-6166
Significant dates
Added to NRHPMay 5, 2006
Designated VLRMarch 8, 2006[2]
Detail of cast iron fencing

Located at Fourth and Hospital Streets on historic Shockoe Hill, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.[1] It was listed a second time on the National Register of Historic Places on June 16, 2022 as part of the Shockoe Hill Burying Ground Historic District.[4]

The Hebrew Cemetery is maintained by Congregation Beth Ahabah, a Reform congregation founded in Richmond in 1789.

Cemetery for Hebrew Confederate Soldiers

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Cemetery for Hebrew Confederate Soldiers, March 2019
 
Historical marker

Within the Hebrew Cemetery is a section for Hebrew Confederate Soldiers. The cemetery for Jewish veterans of World War I located in Weissensee, Berlin, is the only Jewish military cemetery not located in Israel. The Confederate section is part of the Hebrew Cemetery on historic Shockoe Hill, and is also maintained by Congregation Beth Ahabah.[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. ^ "Virginia Landmarks Register". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Retrieved March 19, 2013.
  3. ^ "Cemetery for Hebrew Confederate Soldiers". www.jewish-history.com. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  4. ^ "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form for the Shockoe Hill Burying Ground Historic District" (PDF). Virginia Department of Historic Resources. 2021.
  5. ^ "Cemetery for Hebrew Confederate Soldiers". Jewish-American History Documentation Foundation. Retrieved December 18, 2012.
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