The Charter and Constitution and Bylaws of the Hebrew Congregation Gates of Mercy of the Dispersed of Judah , 1883; Walter B. Moses, Jr., President of the Hebrew Rest Cemetery Association, 1998
      A Short History of Congregation Gates of Prayer, 1990 )
     Gates of Mercy, Dispersed of Judah, Touro Synagogue, Temple Sinai, and the Hebrew Rest Cemetery Association Shangarai Chassed (Gates of Mercy) was the first Jewish congregation in New Orleans. Founded by Jacob Solis on December 20, 1827, its members were primarily Jews of German background. Manis Jacobs, a native of Amsterdam, served as the first President and, although it is believed that he had no formal training as such, also assumed the duties of rabbi of the Congregation, a title by which he was known until his death in 1839.
     In March 1828, Manis Jacobs purchased land in his own name to be used for burial purposes by the Congregation. This property was located on Jackson Street (now Jackson Avenue) at Saratoga Street, within what is presently known as the Garden District of New Orleans. In April of that same year Jacobs turned the property over to the Congregation, after its charter was approved. The synagogue, according to the New Orleans City Directory of 1854, was located on Rampart Street between St. Louis and Conti Streets.
     The first burial in the Gates of Mercy Cemetery took place in June 1828. The last burial recorded in the original record book was in 1847, roughly coinciding with the opening of a cemetery operated by a newer congregation, Dispersed of Judah (Nefuzoth Jehuda), organized by Spanish-Portugese Jews in 1846 and incorporated in 1847.
Judah Touro, a Sephardic Jew, provided funding for construction of a place of worship for this new congregation; the building was known as the Touro Synagogue. It was located, according to the 1854 New Orleans City Directory, on Canal Street corner of Bourbon. Touro also donated property to the Cemetery Association of Dispersed of Judah, which is still in use today as the Dispersed of Judah Cemetery. The property is situated on Canal and Anthony Streets (near the northern boundary of the Mid-City area of New Orleans).
     The original charter (1827) of Congregation Shangarai Chassed (Gates of Mercy) was renewed 25 years later, in 1852, maintaining the original name of the congregation. Later, in September 1881, the charter was amended to change the name to Congregation Gates of Mercy of the Dispersed of Judah, the result of a merger of the two small congregations.
     It was not until 1937 that the name Touro Synagogue was formally adopted for the merged congregations, replacing the name "Congregation Gates of Mercy of the Dispersed of Judah". In 1860, Congregation Shangarai Chassed (Gates of Mercy of the Dispersed of Judah) purchased the property in the Gentilly section of New Orleans that is now known as Hebrew Rest Cemetery No.1. In 1872, this property was sold to Congregation Temple Sinai (Reform), at which time all rights to the property were given to the Hebrew Rest Cemetery Association. In 1894 the second square of property, adjacent to the first, was purchased jointly by Congregations Temple Sinai and Gates of Mercy of the Dispersed of Judah. This square is now known as Hebrew Rest Cemetery No.2. In 1938, a third square of property, adjacent to the first two, was purchased jointly by the same two congregations. This square is now known as Hebrew Rest Cemetery No. 3. In 1961, Congregation Temple Sinai and Touro Synagogue sold all property, including the Dispersed of Judah Cemetery in Mid-City, to the Hebrew Rest Cemetery Association, under whose auspices the 4 cemeteries operate today.
     The original record book of the Gates of Mercy Cemetery is housed in the Special Collections/Rare Books section of the Tulane University Library in Jones Hall. The original record books for the Dispersed of Judah Cemetery and the Hebrew Rest Cemeteries are maintained by the Executive Secretary of the Hebrew Rest Cemetery Association and are currently housed at Temple Sinai.
Congregation Gates of Prayer and Gates of Prayer Cemeteries:
     The Congregation of the Gates of Prayer was organized in the Old Lafayette area of New Orleans (now the Garden District) on May 1, 1849 and incorporated in March 1850. A chevra, or benevolent society, had been in existence in the Lafayette area from the 1830Æs. About 40 families got together as early as 1848, adopted the German ritual, and set about founding a synagogue. Early gathering places were those used by the chevra, at Washington and Constance streets, and later at Fifth and Chippewa streets. By 1852, worship was held at Seventh and Tchoupitoulas streets. After this period, a small school located at Fulton and St. Mary streets served as a meeting place until 1856. On April 5, 1857 a cornerstone was laid for a new brick synagogue. Completed in 1860, it was known as the Lafayette Schul, located on Jackson Avenue and Chippewa Street. In 1920, the Congregation moved to Napoleon Avenue (in Uptown New Orleans) and then in the 1970's to the Jefferson Parish suburb of Metairie.
     For many years the Congregation followed the Orthodox tradition; and the cantor conducted services. At the turn of the century the influence of the Reform movement was felt and in 1806 the first rabbi was engaged.
     The Gates of Prayer Cemetery on Joseph Street (in the Uptown area of New Orleans) was opened in 1853. Gates of Prayer also took over a cemetery founded by Congregation Tememe Derech, a group of Polish Jews that disbanded in 1903. That cemetery is located on Canal Street at Bernadotte Street near the northern border of the Mid-City area of New Orleans, and was run by a volunteer group until Gates of Prayer took over in 1939. The Tememe Derech burials occupy the same square as Chevra Thillim* (absorbed in 1950) and Gates of Prayer burials; The cemetery property is owned by Gates of Prayer Synagogue, where the cemetery records are housed.
*Not to be confused with Chevra Thillim Memorial Park, opened in 1973, at 5000 Bienville Street adjoining the Dispersed of Judah Cemetery.