Hebrew Cemetery, operated by Congregation Beth Ahabah, has played an important role in the history of Beth Ahabah and its predecessor congregation, K.K. Beth Shalome. It is located on Shockoe Hill at Fourth and Hospital Streets, a site that was chosen in 1816 after the first cemetery of our congregations, located on Franklin Street, was filled. The Franklin Street Burial Grounds, founded in 1791, was the first Jewish cemetery in Virginia and continues to be maintained by the Temple.

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A recent renovation of the cemetery included the restoration of the Confederate soldier's section, major repairs to other parts of the cemetery, and an expansion to create an additional 1,000 burial plots, available to members of Congregation Beth Ahabah. The cemetery records are currently part of the Beth Ahabah Museum & Archives and have recently been computerized in order to make them publicly available.

The cemetery is located ay 4th and Hospital Streets on Richmond's north side and is open to the public Monday through Friday from 9:00am to 3:00pm and by arrangement with the Temple office. A security guard is also present on the first and third Sundays of each month from noon until 3:00pm. Call the Beth Ahabah office at 804-358-6757 for information about historical tours of the cemetery.

This motion, passed on May 20, 1816, created the Hebrew Cemetery, the second burial ground for the Beth Shalome congregation. The first burial took place in 1817. Congregation Beth Ahabah was given equal burial priveleges in 1843 and shared those priveleges with the older congregation until 1898. At that time Beth Shalome merged with Beth Ahabah and the latter acquired the complete ownership of the cemetery.

In 1866 the two congregations created a joint committee—with equal number from each congregation—to oversee the regulation and maintenance of the cemetery. By an act of the Virginia Legislature in 1888, the Hebrew Cemetery Company was given a charter to manage the grounds. This volunteer organization ran the cemetery until 1998; at that time Congregation Beth Ahabah took over the duties of managing the cemetery.

That one acre has been added to over the years. A second acre was purchased from the City of Richmond in 1871. The cemetery was further enlarged in 1911 with the purchase of 3 1/2 acres of land across the street from the original grounds. Today Hebrew Cemetery is comprised of 8.4 acres and will continue to serve the Congregation Beth Ahabah for many years to come.

In 1816 a committee raised $1322 to lay off the ground, build a matahar house, and erect a wall. The chapel—built on the site of the matahar house—was designed by Richmond architect M.J. Dimmock and completed in 1898. The stained glass panels for the major windows have been removed and are now part of the collection of the Beth Ahabah Museum & Archives.

The first to be interred at Hebrew Cemetery was Benjamin Wolfe. Mr. Wolfe, a merchant and one of the founding fathers of K.K. Beth Shalome, was chairman of the committee formed in 1816 to acquire a new cemetery for the congregation. He was also a member of Richmond Common Hall (the town council), and this position allowed him to lobby for the cemetery. After arrangements for the cemetery were completed, it is told that Mr. Wolfe laughingly remarked that the president should be the first person interred in the new grounds. The president responded with a biblical passage to the effect that he who dug a pit should be the first to fall into it. Ironically it was Wolfe who was the first person to be interred into the new grounds.

Other persons whose grave sites may be found in the cemetery include the leaders of the congregations, rabbis, and many of the leaders of the business and social communities of Richmond.

During the first one hundred years of its history, Hebrew Cemetery was filled with a number of elaborate memorials to the deceased. Chest and table tombs, cradle graves and rustic tree monuments are found among the tall obelisks, broken columns and draped urns. Jewish symbols such as the Star of David and the hands positioned for the priestly blessing of the Kohanim are found on the gravestones, but there are also many symbols shared with the larger community, such as the weeping willow tree, lambs, doves and flowers.

Within Hebrew Cemetery is a plot known as the Soldier's Section. This plot contains the graves of 30 Jewish Confederate soldiers who died in or near Richmond. In 1866 the Hebrew Ladies' Memorial Association was formed to care for this section. This organization paid for individual grave markers for the soldiers, commissioned an elaborate ornamental iron fence to surround the plot and sponsored commemorative services for the soldiers. The HLMA gave the care of the plot over to the Hebrew Cemetery Company in the 1930's.

The fence, which still stands today, was designed by Richmond artist Major William Barksdale Myers prior to 1873. The individual grave markers were removed during the 1950's and a central granite marker was erected in their place. Today the section, like the rest of the cemetery, is maintained by Congregation Beth Ahabah.

In 1963 a correction was made to the bronze plaque regarding the name of one of the soldiers. Henry Gintzberger, a Germani immigrant, enlisted in the Salem Flying Artillery at the beginning of the Civil War and was killed in Cold Harbor in 1864. His name was mistakenly reported to be Gersberg and he was buried in the Soldier's Section under that name. Richmond historian J. Ambler Johnson, whose father served with Gintzberger, correctly identified this long-dead soldier after more than 20 years of research. In a ceremony during the Civil War Centennial, Gintzberger's name was added to the plaque. The soldier, who fought under Stonewall Jackson at Chancellorsville and was wounded at Gettysburg, now rests under his own name.

From the Temple: Continue east on West Franklin Street. Cross over Belvidere Street (Rt. 1). Continue several blocks and turn left on N. Adams Street. After several blocks, take a right on W. Leigh Street.  Turn left on N. 3rd Street, and continue on it as it changes into N. 5th Street.  Take a left onto Hospital Street, and Hebrew Cemetery will be on your right.

From Downtown: From Main Street or Broad Street, head north on N. Adams Street. After several blocks, take a right on W. Leigh Street.  Turn left on N. 3rd Street, and continue on it as it changes into N. 5th Street.  Take a left onto Hospital Street, and Hebrew Cemetery will be on your right.

From the West: Take I-64 East. I-64 East will merge with I-95 South. Take the 3rd Street exit. From 3rd Street turn left at the next intersection onto Jackson Street. Travel 1 block on Jackson to 4th Street and turn left. Continue on 4th Street underneath I-64/I-95.Turn left at the light onto Hospital Street. The older section of Hebrew Cemetery will be on your immediate right, the newer section on your left.

From the North: Take I-95 South. I-95 South will merge with I-64 East. Take the 3rd Street exit. From 3rd Street turn left at the next intersection onto Jackson Street. Travel 1 block on Jackson to 4th Street and turn left. Continue on 4th Street underneath I-64/I-95.Turn left at the light onto Hospital Street. The older section of Hebrew Cemetery will be on your immediate right, the newer section on your left.

From the East: Take I-64 West toward Downtown Richmond. As you reach Downtown Richmond take the 5th Street exit. Proceed south on 5th one block to Jackson Street and turn right. Take the next right onto 4th Street. Continue on 4th Street underneath I-64/I-95.Turn left at the light onto Hospital Street. The older section of Hebrew Cemetery will be on your immediate right, the newer section on your left.

From the South: Take the Powhite Parkway north. After crossing the James River continue on I-195 North. Take I-64 East. Take the 3rd Street exit. From 3rd Street turn left at the next intersection onto Jackson Street. Travel 1 block on Jackson to 4th Street and turn left. Continue on 4th Street underneath I-64/I-95.Turn left at the light onto Hospital Street. The older section of Hebrew Cemetery will be on your immediate right, the newer section on your left.

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