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Home / History of Our Cemeteries

History of Our Cemeteries

In this newsletter, we take a look back into JCGC’s archives at the history of the Price Hill cemeteries on one side of Sunset Avenue. This history was prepared by one of JCGC’s Founders and previous JCGC Board member Ed Marks. These were remarks delivered at a Board meeting, so they were written for that purpose, as opposed to publication.

Price Hill Cemetery

As we all know, the first Jewish congregation west of the Alleghenies was K.K. Bene Israel, formed in 1828 – known today as Rockdale Temple. At its founding, it was an Orthodox congregation, although with a New World perspective. Formed by the city’s first Jews – who hailed from England – they had become accustomed, as merchants who relied on the general community, to reassess the commandments, and keeping their stores open on Shabbat.

At about the same time, a young man named Max Lilienthal, born in Munich, took his rabbinic training to Russia, where he became an educator who preached, of all things, sending Jewish youngsters to secular schools during the day, and then to Shul for religious education in the late afternoon.

Lilienthal moved to New York in 1844, where his reformist ideas did not sit well with either of the congregations her served there over the next 10 years. In 1855, he moved to Cincinnati, to assume the posts of Associate Editor of The Israelite, and rabbi of Kehal Kodesh Bene Israel. He promptly got active in secular civic activities – such as the Board of Education and the Board of Trustees of the Cincinnati University – and introduced even more radical interpretations of Hallakha at Bene Israel.

Well, that didn’t sit well with everyone. In 1857 – two years after Lilienthal arrived – a group of more traditional Bene Israelites withdrew from the temple, and formed Congregation Sherith Israel. The new congregation hewed to a far more traditional approach to Judaism than Lilienthal’s, and as new Jewish settlers came to town, a significant number of them joined Sherith Israel.

Its primary location for many years was downtown. An aside: About 1985, my good friend Owen Findsen, then art editor of The Enquirer, looked out his window, and saw what looked like two spires. We had lunch that day, and he walked me into Lodge Alley. When I looked up, it was obvious that this was, indeed, a synagogue building. Research by Rabbi Abie Ingber established that this was the home of Congregation Sherith Israel, built in 1860. It’s still there, if you want to look for it, and it has a plaque on the side. Today, it houses several condos.

Back to our story.

Sometime in the late 1850s, Adath Israel and The Love Brothers Congregation – now Congregation Ohav Shalom – bought land along Sunset Avenue. They sold a portion of it – a buffer between the two larger congregations – to Sherith Israel.

In 1906, Sherith Israel merged with Ahabeth Achim, and the merged congregation moved out to the far suburbs – Reading Road, near what is now Martin Luther King Drive. In 1931, this congregation merged with K.K. B’nai Yeshuron, which acquired the name Isaac M. Wise Temple, and built a modern new suburban center at Reading Rd. and North Crescent.

As a result of the 1931 merger, the Sherith Israel cemetery in Price Hill became part of United Jewish Cemeteries – and, of course, is now a part of JCGC.

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    Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati

    1 month ago

    Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati
    Thank you to everyone who joined us last night for an illuminating conversation about "A Cantor's Head" with Cantor Jack Mendelson as part of the Mayerson JCC Jewish and Israeli Film Festival. We hope you enjoyed the film and hearing Cantor Mendelson share his insights and voice with us live. We look forward to future opportunities to celebrate the richness of Jewish tradition and culture together as a community. ... See MoreSee Less
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    Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati

    2 months ago

    Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati
    Watch the trailer below to get a sneak peek of "A Cantor's Head," which you can view as part of the Mayerson JCC Jewish and Israeli Film Festival. Join us for an online special event on January 25th at 7:00 pm featuring Cantor Jack Mendelson in conversation with Rabbinic Fellow Jason Cook. vimeo.com/365634990JCGC’s Guardians, our Legacy Society members, and JCGC’s Friends Campaign contributors are invited as guests of JCGC and can RSVP via info@jcemcin.org. Members of the public are welcome to join us and can purchase tickets here: mayersonjcc.org/film ... See MoreSee Less

    TRAILER _ A CANTOR'S HEAD

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    Trailer for the new documentary A CANTOR'S HEAD. Director: Erik Greenberg Anjou
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    Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati

    2 months ago

    Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati
    We are proud to sponsor 𝘈 𝘊𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘰𝘳’𝘴 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘥, a documentary about Cantor Jack Mendelson and his legacy, as part of the Virtual Mayerson JCC Jewish and Israeli Film Festival! After watching the film, join us online on Monday, January 25th at 7 pm for a special event featuring Cantor Jack Mendelson in conversation with Rabbinic Fellow Jason Cook.JCGC’s Guardians, our Legacy Society members, and JCGC’s Friends Campaign contributors are invited as guests of JCGC and can RSVP via info@jcemcin.org. Members of the public are welcome to join us and can purchase tickets here: mayersonjcc.org/film ... See MoreSee Less
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Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati
3400 Montgomery Road
Cincinnati, Ohio 45207
513-961-0178

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