Har Nebo Cemetery
{{Short description|Jewish cemetery in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox cemetery
|name = Har Nebo Cemetery
|image = Har Nebo Cemetery.jpg
|caption =
|country = United States
|location = 6061 Oxford Avenue
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
|coordinates = {{coord|40.0391152|-75.0867980|type:landmark_globe:earth_region:US-PA|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|type = private
|owner =
|size = {{convert|16|acre|m2}}
|website =
|findagraveid= 45031
}}
Har Nebo Cemetery is a Jewish cemetery in the Oxford Circle neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Established in 1890, it is the oldest privately owned Jewish cemetery in Philadelphia. It is named for Mount Nebo, a Moabite mountain mentioned as the place where Moses died in the Hebrew Bible on the other side the Jordan River.
History
The organization was established in 1890 by Isaac Levy as the Har Nebo Cemetery Company.{{Cite book |last=Meyers |first=Allen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iQui23uF4HUC |title=The Jewish Community of South Philadelphia |date=1998 |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |isbn=978-0-7524-1202-3 |pages=35 |language=en}} That October, the company was granted permission for the construction of the physical cemetery,{{Cite news |date=1890-10-10 |title=Protest to Council |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/168279137/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=2025-05-04 |work=Philadelphia Inquirer |pages=6}} located in the 23rd Ward of Philadelphia (rural Frankford).{{Cite news |date=1890-11-01 |title=Legal Notices |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/168302657 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2025-05-04 |work=Philadelphia Inquirer |pages=6}} It was built on land belonging to deceased David Williams.{{Cite book |last= |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xmA0AQAAMAAJ |title=Ordinances and Joint Resolutions of the Select and Common Councils of the Consolidated City of Philadelphia |date=1890 |publisher=GMC |pages=352 |language=en}} Burials date back as far as 1892.{{Cite news |date=1892-05-04 |title=Died |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/168277589 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2025-05-04 |work=Philadelphia Inquirer |pages=6}} In 1906, the boundaries of the cemetery were extended further into undeveloped sections of the 35th Ward.{{Cite news |date=1906-10-17 |title=City Ordinances |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/168232803 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2025-05-04 |work=Philadelphia Inquirer |pages=14}} This was due to an outbreak of Smallpox in the area. In 1924, the widening of Devereaux Avenue caused territory losses for the cemetery.{{Cite news |date=1924-07-16 |title=City Ordinances |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/171035411 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2025-05-04 |work=Philadelphia Inquirer |pages=27}}
In 1955, 32 stones were damaged when suspected juvenile deliquents went on a spree of valdalism across the cemetery.{{Cite news |date=1955-05-17 |title=Vandals Damage 32 Tombstones |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/174830717 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2025-05-04 |work=Philadelphia Inquirer |pages=21}} In 1987, a 17-year-old girl was raped at knifepoint on the property.{{Cite news |date=1987-06-21 |title=Suspect sought in May 31 rape |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/167965321 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2025-05-04 |work=Philadelphia Inquirer |pages=477}}
Modern issues
Har Nebo Cemetery is recognized as a cemetery that is, for the most part, in severe disrepair. Many gravestones are knocked over, much of the ground is unkempt, and the cemetery is often inaccessible.{{Cite web |last=Lowenkron |first=Hadriana |date=25 Jul 2020 |title=Locked gates and 4-foot-tall grass: Conditions at 2 Philly cemeteries leave families in anguish |url=https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia/har-nebo-mount-carmel-cemeteries-conditions-coronavirus-20200725.html |access-date=2023-04-08 |website=Philadelphia Inquirer |language=en}} A restoration has been undertaken since 2021 by Friends of Jewish Cemeteries to take ownership of and restore the cemetery to its previous condition.{{Cite web |date=2022-09-18 |title=Over 100 volunteers gather in Oxford Circle to restore historic cemetery |url=https://www.fox29.com/news/over-100-volunteers-gather-in-oxford-circle-to-restore-historic-cemetery |access-date=2023-04-08 |website=FOX 29 Philadelphia |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Rogelberg |first=Sasha |date=2022-11-30 |title=Friends of Jewish Cemeteries Completes Second Phase of Restoration Project |url=https://www.jewishexponent.com/2022/11/30/friends-of-jewish-cemeteries-completes-second-phase-of-restoration-project/ |access-date=2023-04-08 |website=Jewish Exponent |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Inquirer |first=Kevin Riordan The Philadelphia |title=Conserving Jewish cemeteries, one stone at a time |url=https://www.fredericknewspost.com/news/lifestyle/religion/conserving-jewish-cemeteries-one-stone-at-a-time/article_e82fa8c4-8f67-5fda-93c9-d34a19b78735.html |access-date=2023-04-08 |website=The Frederick News-Post |language=en}}{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2021-11-04 |title=What our photographers saw on Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021. |url=https://www.inquirer.com/photo/what-our-photographers-saw-wednesday-nov-3-2021-20210812.html |access-date=2025-05-04 |website=Inquirer.com |language=en}}
The cemetery also administers Mount Carmel Cemetery.{{Cite news |last=Lucas |first=Phillip |date=2011-08-04 |title=SWEEP to help clean this mess |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/198252180 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2025-05-04 |work=Philadelphia Daily News |pages=20}}
Notable interments
- David Cohen, Philadelphia City Councilman
- Harry Gold (1910–1972), atomic spy{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1974/02/14/archives/1972-death-of-harry-gold-revealed.html |work=The New York Times|title=1972 death of Harry Gold revealed|date=14 February 1974}}{{cite web|url=https://www.jewishexponent.com/2020/07/30/improvements-being-made-at-har-nebo-mount-carmel-cemeteries/ |website=Jewish Exponent|title=Improvements being made at Har Nebo, Mount Carmel cemeteries|last=Gotlieb|first=Andy|date=30 July 2020}}
- Eddie Gottlieb (1898–1979), American professional basketball coach and team owner
- Samuel Gross (1891–1934), Medal of Honor recipient
- Stan Hochman (1928–2015), sportswriter
- Adolph Hirschberg (1889–1943, American labor leader{{Cite news |date=1938-11-10 |title=Hirschberg Monument to Be Erected Sunday |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/171411242 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2025-05-04 |work=Philadelphia Inquirer |pages=30}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://jgsgp.org/cemetery-data Jewish Genealogical and Archival Society], Cemetery Data
- {{Find a Grave cemetery|45031}}
- {{GNIS|1176491|Har NEBO Cemetery}}
Category:Cemeteries established in the 1890s
Category:Cemeteries in Philadelphia
Category:Jewish cemeteries in Pennsylvania
Category:Jews and Judaism in Philadelphia