When I lived in Massachusetts as a teenager, I had the good fortune of getting a great first job at a wonderful place. The Worcester Jewish Community Center was not only a great place to work; it was a place where I made many friends during the ten years that I worked there and a place where I learned a great deal about Judaism. Massachusetts has quite a few large Jewish communities, and as a result, quite a few Jewish cemeteries.
Today I decided to learn a little bit about the Jewish cemeteries of Massachusetts. The first Jewish cemetery was created in East Boston in 1844. The Jewish Cemetery Association of Massachusetts owns and manages about half of the 209 Jewish cemeteries in the state. They also maintain a large computer database of burial information for Jews in the Greater Boston area. People from all over the world have found the JCAM database useful in researching their Jewish ancestors that lived in that area.
Another interesting thing that the JCAM does is cemetery tours. JCAM considers the Jewish cemeteries in its care to be “museums of memories” and has conducted many tours for synagogue groups and other organizations. The tours offer information about the cemeteries themselves, including the meanings of the symbols on the headstones as well as information about burial customs and about the communities where the cemeteries are located.
Book burial is also part of Jewish culture and tradition. Worn Torah scrolls, books, and other artifacts are treated with dignity and care. Specific guidelines must be followed to ensure that the sacred responsibility of burying these items is carried out properly. JCAM collects and stores sacred materials for burial throughout the year and conducts a book burial ceremony once a year. Jewish cemeteries are very special places that honor the memories of those that are buried there and preserve their traditions and culture for those that will later visit their graves.