International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies - Cemetery Project

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CALIFORNIA


Jewish Genealogical Society of Los Angeles
        Contact information at: http://iajgs.org/members/members.html

Jewish Genealogical Society of Sacramento
        Contact information at: http://iajgs.org/members/members.html

Jewish Genealogical Society of the Conejo Valley and Ventura County
        Contact information at: http://iajgs.org/members/members.html

Jewish Genealogical Society of San Diego
        Contact information at: http://iajgs.org/members/members.html

San Francisco Bay Area Jewish Genealogical Society
        Contact information at: http://iajgs.org/members/members.html

Hebrew Union College Frances-Henry Library
Harvey Horowitz, Head Librarian
32nd & Hoover Streets
Los Angeles, CA
213-749-3424
Fax: 213-747-6128
E-Mail: hhorwit@mizar.usc.edu
Jewish local, state, and regional history: The Joseph H. Rosenberg Branch of the American Jewish Archives and a branch of the American Jewish Periodical Center.

Jewish Historical Society of Southern California
President: Stephen J. Sass
6505 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 370
Los Angeles, CA 90048
Phone: 323-761-8950
Fax: 323-761-8952
E-mail: jhsociety@aol.com
Hours: By appointment
JHSSC Archives
Bisno Collection
Marco Newmark Photo Collection
The Boyle Heights Project: Oral Histories and Photographs

Jewish Historical Society of San Diego
Stan Schwartz, President
1934 Pentuckett Avenue
San Diego, CA 92104-5732
Phone: 619.232.5888
Fax: 619.233.5833
E-Mail: schwartz@cts.com

Judah L. Magnes Museum/Western Jewish History Center
website: http://www.magnes.org
Kim Klausner, Director/Archivist
2911 Russell Street
Berkeley, CA 94705
Tel. (510) 549-6956 Fax (510) 849-3673
E-mail queries: info@magnes.org
On-site research: by appointment
Call for appointment: Monday-Friday (510) 549-6950 ext. 356
Finding Aids: See California Digital Library http://www.oac.cdlib.org:28008/dynaweb/ead/wjhc

Los Angeles Jewish Community Library
Abigail Yasgur, Director
Los Angeles Jewish Federation
6006 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
tel.323-852-1234
fax 213-761-8026
E-mail info@jclla.org
Web Site: http://www.jclla.org ("The Great Jewish Book Caper")

Los Angeles Public Library
History Department
630 West Fifth Street
Los Angeles, CA 90071
tel 213-228-7000
Cindy McNaughton, Archivist
E-mail history@LAPL.org
LAPL Local History Files
Jewish Biographical Files
Jews in Los Angeles Files

San Francisco Bay Area Jewish Historical Society
c/o Robert Weiss
3916 Louis Road
Palo Alto, CA 94303
(650) 424-1622

Security Pacific National Bank
"Shades of Los Angeles: Pictures from Ethnic Family Albums"
Photo Collection/ Carolyn Cole, Curator
E-mail ccole@lapl.org

The Society of Crypto Judaic Studies
Gloria Trujillo, President
2000 Avenida Cesar Chavez
Monterey Park, CA 91754
E-mail gtruj@aol.com

Western States Jewish History (periodical on Jews of the West begun in 1968)
Gladys Sturman, Publisher/ Editor
4411 Park Mallorca
Calabasas, CA 91302
818.222.4694
Fax: 818.591.0618

UCLA Young Research Library
Special Collections
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575
tel: 310.825.4988
fax: 310.206.1864
E-mail spec-coll@library.ucla.edu
Rochlin Collection of Western Jewish History, Collection #1689, 2550 files

UCLA Young Research Library
David G.Hirsch Middle East Bibliographer
P.O. Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575
E-mail dhirsch@library.ucla.edu
Tel: 310-825-2930 (direct)
Fax: 310-206-4974
150,000 books in addition to its manuscripts collection. www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/url/colls/judaica/

SYNAGOGUES IN CALIFORNIA:
http://jewish.com/page.php?do=page&cat_id=500 CALIFORNIA_NORTHERN [2000]
http://jewish.com/page.php?do=page&cat_id=14 CALIFORNIA_SOUTHERN [2000]

THE CEMETERIES

ALAMEDA County:
ALTHERTON: See last entry under Colma

AETNA SPRINGS: use/d the cemetery at Napa

AMADOR: see Jackson City
AMERICAN CANYON: use/d the cemetery at Napa

ANGWIN: use/d the cemetery at Napa

BERKELEY: (San Francisco Bay Area)
BUTTE County:
CALAVARAS COUNTY: see Mokelumne Hill

CALISTOGA: use/d the cemetery at Napa

CARMEL AREA: see: Pacific Grove, Seaside, Monterey or Salinas

CITY OF COMMERCE: see Los Angeles (Mount Carmel Cemetery)

CARPENTERIA: see Santa Barbara County

COLMA: (SAN MATEO COUNTY) also see San Francisco
"Many of the new cemeteries [for San Francisco] were created south of San Francisco in the town of Colma. Colma has the distinction of having more dead residents (1.5 million and counting) than living souls today. source: sanfranciscocemeteries.com [July 2005]
Documents obtainable in AJA . American Jewish Archives, 3101 Clifton Ave. Cincinnati, Ohio 45220-2488. 513-221-1875 (tel); 513-221-7812 (fax). E-mail: AJA@cn.hc.edu : Cemetery inscriptions and correspondence concerning various San Franciscans who lived about 1835-1920. Atherton, San Francisco and Colma, CA. 1958 and July 19, 1968. Miscellaneous file: For Mrs. Wyatt Earp burial (Josephine Marcus), see " How Wyatt Earp Got Buried in a Jewish Cemetery" and photo http://www.watermargin.com/graves/earp.html. CORONA DEL MAR: see Newport Beach

COSTA MESA: (Orange County)
CULVER CITY: 90230
DANVILLE: San Francisco Bay Area
EL DORADO County:
EUREKA: San Francisco Bay Area
FOLSOM:
GOLD RUSH AREA: including Grass Valley, Jackson, Marysville, Nevada City, Mokelumme Hill, Placerville, San Jose, Sonora, or Yreka
Information about six cemeteries from the Gold Rush area is available at Judah Magnes Museum: http://www.judahmagnesmuseum.org/ . The Commission for the Preservation of Jewish Cemeteries and Landmarks of the Judah L. Magnes Museum maintains cemeteries in the Gold Rush area towns. See: "Gold Rush history unveiled in book on Jewish cemeteries" and Travelers Guide to Pioneer Jewish Cemeteries of the California Gold Rush Author: Susan Morris . Judah L. Magnes Museum: 1997, paperbound, 108 pages. $12.95.
http://www.jewishsf.com/content/2-0-/module/displaystory/story_id/2187/edition_id/35/format/html/displaystory.html

GOLETA: (Santa Barbara County) See Santa Barbara and see Grass Valley
GRASS VALLEY:
http://www.judahmagnesmuseum.org/

HOLLYWOOD: see Los Angeles
HOLLYWOOD HILLS: see Los Angeles

JACKSON:
http://www.judahmagnesmuseum.org/ KERN County:
LAFAYETTE: San Francisco Bay Area
LAKE BERRESSA: use/d the cemetery at Napa

LIVERMORE: San Francisco Bay Area
LOMPOC: Santa Barbara County
LONG BEACH:
Cemetery names from temple Yahrzeit lists are in the possession of Dr. Leonard Spialter, spialterr@about.com LOS ANGELES: (Greater LA area)
Los Angeles area Jewish cemeteries with address, telephone number, and date of establishment are found at http://www.jewishgen.org/jgsla/cemetery.htm . Note from LA: JGS LA and Southern California Jewish Historical Society are cooperatively indexing burials as of 1999 [?]. Also: Louis Glassband, one of the founders of Glassband & Groman, which later split into two mortuaries (now Glassband/Willen & Groman), was the only Jewish mortician in L.A. for some time. Ted Gostin (professional genealogist), PO Box 2421, Pasadena, CA 91102-2421, (818) 577-1795 e-mail: tgostin@aol.com . MARYSVILLE:
MERCED:
MISSION HILLS: See Los Angeles
MODESTO: (see also San Mateo)
MOKELUMNE HILL:
http://www.judahmagnesmuseum.org/ MONTEREY BAY AREA: see Pacific Grove, Seaside or Monterey

MONTEREY: {10250}
NAPA: (Napa County)
Other towns and villages that use/d this cemetery: Aetna Springs, American Canyon, Angwin, Calistoga, Lake Berressa, Oakville, Rutherford, St. Helena, Vallejo and Yountville. NEVADA CITY:
NEVADA County:
NEWPORT BEACH:
NORWALK:
OAKLAND:
OAKLAND FUNERAL HOMES:
     Colonial Chapel: 2626 High Street, Oakland 94610; 510-536-5454; Paul F. Scudder, Director, specializing in Orthodox services since 1947.
     Halsted Mortuary: Until the late 1930's, Jewish burials seem to have been conducted by N. Gray & Company that subsequently merged with Halsted Mortuary. Halsted has many records but charges for servicing inquiries.
     Indigent Burial Assistance: (Sponsored by the Jewish Family and Children's Services of the East Bay; 3245 Sheffield Avenue, Oakland 94602; Judith Cohen, 510-532-6314

OAKVILLE: use/d the cemetery at Napa

OROVILLE: (Butte County) also see San Francisco:
PACIFIC GROVE:
PALM SPRINGS:

PETALUMA: (Sonoma County) see San Francisco
PLACERVILLE: El Dorado County {10348}
      http://www.judahmagnesmuseum.org/
     Veryl F. Weight's Cemeteries of El Dorado County, Heart of the '49 Gold Fields , verified by visit of Hope M. Luxemberg. This County Seat of El Dorado County is located about 32 miles east of Sacramento on Hwy 50. Source: Hope Luxemberg; e-mail: lensales@cdepot.net. Cemetery is identified on AAA map of Placerville. Exit US 50 on Canal Street to Wentworth Way. Also mentioned on p.47 in Postal & Koppman's Jewish Tourist's Guide to U.S . Phila., PA: Jewish Publ. Soc., 1954.
     A preliminary report on pioneer Jewish cemeteries and communities of the California Mother Lode, by R. E. Levinson. Oakland, CA, 1964. 7, XXVI pages, maps. S86B2873. Notes: Jewish cemetery - 24 inscriptions, 1863-1892, Placerville Cemetery, 11 inscriptions (family graves), 1894-1955. Judah Magnes Museum. Source: Tagger, Mathilde. Printed Books on Jewish cemeteries in the Jewish National and University Library in Jerusalem: an annotated bibliography . Jerusalem: The Israel Genealogical Society, 1997. RICHMOND: see Berkeley under San Francisco

RUTHERFORD: use/d the cemetery at Napa

SACRAMENTO County:
SALINAS: {10248}
SAN BERNARDINO:
1919 population was 250 in "Directory of Jewish Local Organizations in the United States", pp. 330-583. American Jewish Year Book 5680 September 25,1919 to Sept. 12, 1920 ; vol. 21, edited by Harry Schneiderman for the American Jewish Comm. Submitted by Alan Hirschfeld.

SAN DIEGO:
San Diego Cemeteries supplied by San Diego JGS. Information submitted by Heidi Farkash, Hill Kaplan and Roberta Berman, SDJGS, 255 So. Rios Avenue, Solana Beach, CA 92075. The San Diego JGS partially indexed Home of Peace in 1996. Contact Roberta Berman, for more information. Am Israel Mortuary is at 6316 El Cajon Blvd., San Diego 92115 (619-583-8850). Contact person: Larry Krantz. Chartered 1975-78, this site is affiliated with Home of Peace Cemetery (see Cypress View Mausoleum) and others and is the only exclusively Jewish mortuary in San Diego. SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA: (Metropolitan area consists of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Sonoma counties.)
San Francisco Cemeteries: http://www.sanfranciscocemeteries.com/ [2000]
GENERAL INFORMATION: SF Bay includes those areas using area codes 341, 415, 408, 510, 650, 669, 707, and 925. Some information on the Pioneer Cemeteries outside the area may be included. Unless otherwise noted, the following information was submitted by Bob Weiss for San Francisco Bay Area Jewish Genealogical Society SFBAJGS, 3916 Louis Road, Palo Alto CA 94303-4541. Somewhere around the late 1800s, the city of San Francisco decided that no further burials would take place in the city. They assigned all burials to a town called Colma, about ten miles south of the city. Those buried in the city could remain there, but all new burials had to take place in Colma. A few years later, the city fathers decided that everyone had to go; i.e., remains had to be relocated to Colma. So the Jewish cemeteries, like all others, began relocations. How many bodies actually were moved (as opposed to stones, all of which were moved) is a matter of conjecture. In heavy rains, old cemetery locations in San Francisco proper wash up human remains, particularly those areas where the Chinese immigrants were buried. Records of the moving were inadequate. It is, occasionally, hard to find a grave. Anyone planning on doing so is advised to allow several days for research at the four large Jewish cemeteries in Colma. Among cemetery listings is California Jewish History Trip Log by Dr. Norton, B. Stern. (June 18, Aug 17, Nov. 23, and Dec. 26, 1966 and July 19, 1967) Box No. 2802.
Funeral Homes:
     Sinai Memorial Chapel: 1501 Divisadero Street, San Francisco 94115 415-921-3636 Gene B. Kaufman, Executive Director; Sinai is a not-for-profit organization owned by the Jewish community. Since 1937 it has handled the majority of Jewish burials. Sinai owns and operates a Jewish cemetery. Prior to 1937, there was a Chevra Kadisha established in 1905, whose records exist.
     Willow Glen Funeral Chapel: 1039 Lincoln Avenue, San Jose 95125; 408-295-6446; Successor to W. B. Ward Co., Established in 1888.
See "Directory of Jewish Local Organizations in the United States" pp. 330-583. American Jewish Year Book 5680 September 25,1919 to Sept. 12, 1920 ; Volume 21 Edited by Harry Schneiderman for the American Jewish Comm. Source: Alan Hirschfeld: SAN JOSE:
BURIAL SOCIETY: Chevra Kadisha of the South Bay County: Congregation Am Echad; 1504 Meridian Avenue, San Jose 95125; Ruth Novice, 408-266-2654 or Mary-Jo Elman, 415-424-9031
SAN MATEO: also see Modesto and San Francisco
SAN PEDRO: (see Los Angeles)
SAN RAFAEL: (MARIN COUNTY)
SANTA BARBARA: see Santa Barbara County and Goleta
FUNERAL HOMES IN SANTA BARBARA:
The two mixed denominational funeral homes do Jewish burials at the above cemeteries (though neither can "remember" doing one at Carpenteria Cemetery.) *Welch-Ryce-Haider, 15 E. Sola St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101 and *McDermott-Crockett Mortuary, 1903 State St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101 SYNAGOGUES:
     Congregation B'nai B'rith: (Reform) 900 San Antonio Creek Rd., Santa Barbara, CA 93111. (805-964-7869). Rabbi Richard Shapiro      Young Israel of Santa Barbara: 1826-B Cliff Dr., Santa Barbara, CA 93109 (805-966-4565)      Hillel (Univ. of CA, Santa Barbara): 777 Camino Pescadero, Isla Vista, CA 93117 (805-968-1280) Rabbi Steven Cohen Source: Betty Goldwater; e-mail: jafa@rain.org SANTA BARBARA COUNTY:see Santa Barbara
SANTA CRUZ: also see San Francisco:
SANTA ROSA:
SEASIDE:
SHASTA:

UPDATE: Historical marker: "Charles, infant son of George & Helena Cohn Brownstein of Red Bluff died December 14, 1864. He was buried near land established by the Shasta Hebrew Congregation as a Jewish cemetery in 1857, one of the earliest such cemeteries in the region. Since there was no Jewish burial ground in Red Bluff, Chales' parents made the arduous journey to Shasta to lay their baby to rest. Concern for the fate of the grave led to the rerouting of Highway 299 in 1923. California Registered Historical Landmark No. 377. First Registered July 28, 1940. Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in Cooperation with the Shasta Historical Society, Kevin Hollis Moss Historical Fund and Trinitarianus Chapter 62, E Clampus Vitus, July 28, 1990" Source: Jim Heaphy; e-mail: Heaphy@aol.com [September 2006]


SIMI VALLEY: SONOMA County:
SONORA:
http://www.judahmagnesmuseum.org/
AJA . American Jewish Archives, 3101 Clifton Ave. Cincinnati, Ohio 45220-2488. 513-221-1875 (tel); 513-221-7812 (fax). E-mail: AJA@cn.hc.edu : Minutes of temple board meetings, 1975-1982; news clipping concerning Sonora Jewish Cemetery. Modesto, CA. Nov. 12, 1968 Small Collections ST. HELENA: use/d the cemetery at Napa

STOCKTON:
     Temple Israel Records, 1850-1990. Description: 0.4 linear ft. Notes: Photocopies of … cemetery records. … Received from Rabbi Selig Salkowitz, Stockton, Calif., 1993. Location: AJA . American Jewish Archives, 3101 Clifton Ave. Cincinnati, Ohio 45220-2488. 513-221-1875 (tel); 513-221-7812 (fax). E-mail: AJA@cn.hc.edu . Control No.: DCLV97-A1915
     "Temple Israel": in "Directory of Jewish Local Organizations in the United States", pp. 330-583. American Jewish Year Book 5680 September 25, 1919 to Sept. 12, 1920 ; vol. 21, edited by Harry Schneiderman for the American Jewish Comm. submitted by Alan Hirschfeld.
     "Russian Brethren" in "Directory of Jewish Local Organizations in the United States", pp. 330-583. American Jewish Year Book 5680 September 25, 1919 to Sept. 12, 1920 ; vol. 21, edited by Harry Schneiderman for the American Jewish Comm. submitted by Alan Hirschfeld.
     In San Joaquin Vallety. 1919 Jewish population was 1,000. Source: in "Directory of Jewish Local Organizations in the United States", pp. 330-583. American Jewish Year Book 5680 September 25, 1919 to Sept. 12, 1920 ; vol. 21, edited by Harry Schneiderman for the American Jewish Comm. submitted by Alan Hirschfeld.
     American Jewish Archives, 3101 Clifton Ave. Cincinnati, Ohio 45220-2488; phone (513) 221-1875: List of graves, Sep. 1950; and deeds for graves, 1854-1863, prepared by Mrs. David Schwartz. SC-12036 and Microfilm No. 3002 Documents
TIBURON: see San Rafael

TUOLUMNE County:
VALLEJO: (Solano County)
People from here also use/d the cemetery at Napa WHITTIER:
Rose Hills Cemetery may contain Jewish burials. 3888 S. Workman Mill Road Whittier, California 90601 | (562) 699-0921. http://www.rosehills.com/site/index.asp [January 2001]

YOUNTVILLE: use/d the cemetery at Napa

YREKA: see also Gold Rush Area
Documents exist in AJA . American Jewish Archives, 3101 Clifton Ave. Cincinnati, Ohio 45220-2488. 513-221-1875 (tel); 513-221-7812 (fax). E-mail: AJA@cn.hc.edu : Mother Lode Cemetery Correspondence between Hal Altman & Mrs. Genevieve Goodman, concerning tombstones and her family buried in the Mother Lode Cemetery. San Francisco and Sacramento, CA. 1961. Typescript. 2 pages. Relates to Hyman and Suskind Abraham. Received by Mr. Hal Altman, Sacramento, CA Dec. 5, 1961. Correspondence file
Cemetery inscriptions and correspondence concerning various San Franciscans who lived about 1835-1920. Atherton, San Francisco and Colma, CA. 1958 and July 19, 1968. Miscellaneous file

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