Har Jehuda Cemetery (Hebrew: בית קברות הר יהודה), or Har Judo for short, is a Jewish cemetery located in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. It is currently home to more than 20,000 burials. It is located along Naylor's Run Creek along the border between Upper Darby and Haverford Townships.[1] It was the first Jewish cemetery in the Philadelphia area to be located West of the city boundaries.[2] It was also the first nonprofit of its kind to be established for the poor, Eastern European Jewish population in Southern Philadelphia.[3]
| Har Jehuda Cemetery | |
|---|---|
בית קברות הר יהודה | |
 Entrance sign for Har Jehuda Cemetery | |
  Har Jehuda Cemetery | |
 | |
| Details | |
| Abandoned | No |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 39°57′50″N 75°17′36″W / 39.96390°N 75.29330°W |
| Type | Jewish |
| Owned by | Larry Maskowitz (1981-present) |
| Size | 27 acres |
| No. of graves | 20,000+ |
| Website | www |
| Find a Grave | Har Jehuda Cemetery |
History
editHar Jehuda was originally founded as Independent Chevra Kadisha Burial Society in 1893. In 1902, the organization established Har Jehuda Cemetery in Upper Darby at its now-current location.[4] Julius Moskowitz, the founder of the cemetery,[5] passed the cemetery to his daughter-in-law Anne Moskowitz following his death, and it is currently owned by Anne’s son, Larry.[6]
Controversy ensued in 1913 when Har Jehuda’s holdings at Chevra Kadisha’s Har Hasetim cemetery were sold to a developer, and over 6,000 bodies were burned for the construction of new housing.[7] In 1995, after plans to bulldoze the cemetery for its valuable real estate, families of those buried in the cemetery along with many local synagogues filed an injunction that prevented the destruction of many of the graves.[8]
Up until the 1950s, the cemetery suffered from many instances of high flooding due to its location at the bottom of hills and its confluence with Naylor’s Run.[9] This issue has largely been solved due to construction and city planning to prevent catastrophic flooding
In June of 1988, a 9-year-old girl was raped within the boundaries of the cemetery.[10]
Burial controversies
editThe son of the Messianic Jewish leader Martin Chernoff attempted to have his father buried in Har Jehuda in 1985,[11] and following the delivery of his body, the cemetery denied the interment, saying that the cemetery was “for burial of people of the Jewish faith.”[12]
In 1997, Sherry Barone, a lesbian woman, won a federal lawsuit against the cemetery, which allowed her to bury her partner with an epitaph indicating their relationship.[13] The then-owner of the cemetery, Ann Moskowitz, claimed that there had never been an issue with the life partner epitaph, and that they had allegedly been going by the wishes of the deceased’s parents.[14]
Current state
editMuch of Har Jehuda has fallen into disrepair due to a lack of modern burials in the cemetery, causing a deflating budget for maintenance of the existing graves and surrounding land.[15] 2022 saw efforts by volunteer groups and a nonprofit to help restore dilapidated parts of the cemetery and to keep other parts of the cemetery in working order, concurrent with work to Har Nebo Cemetery in Philadelphia.[16]
Notable burials
editReferences
edit- ^ Programming, Pennsylvania Bureau of Resources (1983). The State Water Plan. The Bureau. p. 274.
- ^ "Har Jehuda Cemetery and Mausoleum, Upper Darby, PA". Bucks County Genealogical Society. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
- ^ Meyers, Allen (1998). The Jewish Community of South Philadelphia. Arcadia Publishing. p. 34. ISBN 978-0-7385-4955-2.
- ^ "Collection: Har Jehuda Cemetery (Upper Darby, Pa.) Records | Temple University ArchivesSpace". scrcarchivesspace.temple.edu. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
- ^ Nickels, Thom (2024-02-19). "Cemeteries are for the living, too". Broad + Liberty. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
- ^ Tarlecki, Christine (2021-01-15). "Har Jehuda Cemetery in Neighboring Delaware County Facing Hard Times as Business Declines". MONTCO.Today. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
- ^ Sukonik, Neil (2019-12-31). "Jewish Cemetery In Gladwyne Has A Storied Past". This Is Lower Merion And Narberth. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
- ^ Avery, Ron (19 Apr 1995). "A too-valuable resting place?". Philadelphia Daily News. p. 12. Retrieved 1 Sep 2024.
- ^ Administration, United States Federal Insurance (1977). Flood Insurance Study: Township of Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, Delaware County. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Federal Insurance Administration. p. 9.
- ^ "Police blotter: Upper Darby". Philadelphia Inquirer. 30 Jun 1998. p. 178. Retrieved 1 Sep 2024.
- ^ Ryeskiy, K.H. (11 Nov 1985). "Why Jewish Cemetery Wouldn't Bury messianic Leader". Philadelphia Daily News. p. 40. Retrieved 1 Sep 2024.
- ^ Schaffer, Michael D. (30 Oct 1985). "Messianic leader in city is denied Jewish burial". Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 25. Retrieved 1 Sep 2024.
- ^ "Lambda Wins Agreement for Headstone at Lesbian's Unmarked Grave". Lambda Legal Legacy. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
- ^ Wisenberg Brin, Dinah (12 Sep 1997). "Cemetery settles over headstone". Seattle Gay News. p. 25. Retrieved 1 Sep 2024.
- ^ Bjorkgren, David (2021-01-16). "Har Jehuda Cemetery in Upper Darby Facing Hard Times as Business Declines". DELCO.Today. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
- ^ Rogelberg, Sasha (30 Nov 2022). "Friends of Jewish Cemeteries Completes Second Phase of Restoration Project". Jewish Exponent. Retrieved 1 Sep 2024.