International Jewish Cemetery Project

International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies - Cemetery Project

WASHINGTON STATE

THE JEWISH COMMUNITY

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

Washington State Jewish Historical Society
2031 Third Avenue
Seattle, WA 98121
(206) 443-1903

University of Washington
Allen Library, Special Collections, Mss & University Division
WSJHS Jewish Archives Project
P.O. Box 352900
Seattle, WA 98195
Susan Levine, Project Coordinator
tel: 206.543.1895
fax: 206.685.8049
E-mail: sheva@u.washington.edu

The Synagogues of Washington:
http://jewish.com/page.php?do=page&cat_id=412 [2004]

FUNERAL HOMES

Bonney Watson 1732 Broadway E. Seattle (206) 322-0013

Butterworth's Arthur A. Wright Funeral Home & Columbarium 520 W. Raye St. Seattle (206) 282-5500

Green Funeral Home 1215 145th Pl. SE. Bellevue, WA 98007 (425) 747-6240

Seattle Jewish Chapel: Chapel: 170 12th Ave.
Office: 5145 S. Morgan St., Seattle, (206) 323-7321
(206) 721-0970

THE CEMETERIES
BELLEVUE:

Temple Beth Am/Temple B'nai Torah Cemetery: 1575 145th Pl. SE
(206) 525-0915 or (425) 232-7243.

BELLINGHAM:
Congregation Beth Israel (360) 733-8890
http://www.bethisrael.com/History/History%201.htm (temple website)

Beth Israel Cemetery: Adjacent to and accessed through city-owned Bayview Cemetery at 2701 Lakeway Dr., Bellingham. Beth Israel Cemetery is approximately one-half acre, surrounded by fence and unlocked gate, but effectively closed at dusk because access gates to the city-owned cemetery are closed at that point. Approximately 200 people are buried there (guess). Beth Israel has been owned and operated since 1915 by Congregation Beth Israel, 2200 Boadway, Bellingham, WA 98225. 360/733-8890. For info on the synagogue's Cemetery Committee, contact Debbie Adelstein, 360/676-9591. Source: Tim Baker, Bellingham WA; e-mail: tbaker@simonlaw.com

EVERETT: Temple Beth Or, Everett (206) 259-7125

GIG HARBOR: see TACOMA

KENNEWICK: see RICHLAND

KING County:

Heazel Memorial Park:
Hills of Eternity Cemetery: See 'Cemeteries of the US' Deborah M. Burek, ed. Detroit MI : Gale Research Int., 1994. ISBN 0-8103-9245-3. Source: Al Rosenfield, e-mail: arosen@ee.net

LAKEWOOD: see TACOMA

MERCER ISLAND:

Herzl Memorial Park of Herzl-Ner Tamid Congregation: P.O. Box 574; 98040; 232-8555

OLYMPIA:

Temple Beth Hatfiloh Cemetery: Predates the Tacoma cemetery. See Tacoma for details.

PULYALLUP: see TACOMA

RICHLAND:
Congregation Beth Sholom (509) 943-9457

Sunset Memorial Gardens and Mausoleum: Jewish section is called Gan Sholom (Garden of Peace). {10257}. Swift Blvd and Hwy 240; Richland, WA 99352; 509-943-0803. (915 By-Pass Highway). Richland is a small, remote, windswept community. The cemetery is unique because of the Bohr atom representation on posts on either side of the entrance indicative of the community's involvement with the Nuclear Age. (The plutonium for the atomic bomb dropped on Japan was made in nearby Hanford.) Virtually all Jewish burials in the area were done by Einan's Funeral Home, 915 By-Pass Highway, Richland, WA 99352. A few Jews may be buried in Kennewick (an adjacent town that, along with Richland, is one of the Tri-Cities) in Desert Lawn Memorial Park (e.g., Lantor.) Source: Ron Kathren; e-mail: rkathren@beta.tricity.wsu.edu

SEATTLE:
See also Jewish Guide to Washington by the Seattle Jewish Federation. 206-443-5400. Seattle Funeral Homes:
     Bonney Watson, 1732 Broadway E., Seattle, (206) 322-0013
     Butterworth's Arthur A. Wright Funeral Home & Columbarium, 520 W. Raye St., Seattle, (206) 282-5500
     Green Funeral Home, 1215 145th Pl. SE, Bellevue, WA 98007, (425) 747-6240
     Seattle Jewish Chapel: Chapel 170 12th Ave., Seattle, (206) 323-7321; Office: 5145 S. Morgan St., Seattle, (206) 721-0970

Arthur Wright Cemetery: Temple de Hirsch Sinai Section;
Bikur Cholim Cemetery: 1340 N. 115th St., Seattle, (206) 721-0970
Bikur Cholim\Machizkay Hadath: 206-721-0970. Orthodox, still active 1890's cemetery.
Congregation Beth Israel: Bellingham, (360) 733-8890
Congregation Beth Sholom, Richland, (509) 943-9457
Evergreen Washeli Memorial Park: Jewish Section, 11111 Aurora Avenue, North, Seattle, WA [January 2006]
Giboth Olam: Source: Alan Hirshfeld submission using "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 Committee.
Herzl Memorial Park: 165th and Dayton Ave. N., Seattle, (206) 232-8555. Serves Herzl\Ner Tamid Congregation: 232-8555 Originally Orthodox, then Zionist, has been Conservative last 50+ years.
Hills of Eternity Cemetery: 520 W. Raye St., Seattle, (206) 323-8486. Temple Sinai Section: (206) 283-1166
Home of Peace Cemetery: {10937} 5421 Steilacoom Blvd., Tacoma, (253) 564-7101.
Machzikay Hadath Cemetery: 1214 N. 167th, Seattle, (206) 721-0970; see Biur Cholim above.
Mt of Olives Cemetery: 323-8486 Reform. A number of other smaller Jewish communities have their own cemeteries.
Seattle Sephardic Brotherhood Cemetery: (206) 723-3028, 722-5500, 232-7302 (also called Sephardic Bikur Holim? - same phone numbers)
website: http://www.rhodesjewishmuseum.org/ssb/cemetery.htm ( cemetery map)
burial lists: http://www.rhodesjewishmuseum.org/ssb/plothdr.htm
Temple Beth Am/Temple B'nai Torah Cemetery: 1575 145th Pl. SE, Bellevue, WA, (206) 525-0915 or (206) 232-7243.      Temple Beth Hatfiloh, Olympia, (360) 754-8519.
     Temple Beth Or, Everett, (206) 259-7125.
     Temple Beth Shalom, Spokane, (509) 747-3304.
     Temple De Hirsch\Sinai.

STEILACOOM: see TACOMA

SPOKANE:
1919 Jewish population was 1100. Source: Alan Hirshfeld's submission of "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 Committee for Emanu El and Greenwood .

Ahalath Israel Cemetery
Spokane, Spokane County, Washington
T25N R42E Sec 33 contributed by Maggie Rail Jan 27, 2001 [ mrail@cet.com ]. The following comes from information I received from Historian, Helen Boots and excerpts from Rural Spokane County Cemeteries, Vol. 1, pub. 1961 by EWGS.
Ahalath Israel Cemetery was a Jewish cemetery which was dedicated Apr 23, 1914 and recorded in the Spokane County records in Plat Book Q, page 52. The articles filed at that time were signed by: Louis A. Joffe, S. Goldberg, N. Goodman, A. Taitch, President; Sam Fishbach, Vice-president and D. Markowitz, Secretary.
The area of this old cemetery is Northwest of the overpass of Exit 276 of the I-90 freeway through Spokane, WA. This cemetery was closed after just a few burials were made. That was because of the solid rock encountered when digging graves. Reportedly all burials were removed at that time and it is believed they were moved to Mt. Nebo Cemetery, which is the present Jewish cemetery in Spokane. No records have been found to exist by either Spokane county or the Jewish community.
Mount Nebo Cemetery
Spokane County, Washington
of the congregation: Temple Beth Shalom
1322 E 30th
Spokane WA 99203
509-747-3304 T25N R42E Sec 14
Lat: 47°39'53"N, Lon: 117°28'13"W
Contributed by Maggie Rail Jun 13, 2001 [ mrail@cet.com ].
Total records = 548.
Burial list is posted on this website http://interment.net/data/us/wa/spokane/mtnebo/nebo.htm
Mount Nebo cemetery is on North Government Way, just north of and adjacent to Greenwood Memorial Park. It can be reached by going west on Fort George Wright Drive, past Spokane Community College to Government Way. Turn left or south, onto Government Way and continue for a little over a mile, it will be on your right and tricky to spot behind the trees.
"This is the second Jewish cemetery in Spokane, replacing the first which was called Ahalath Israel Cemetery and owned by the Keneseth Israel congregation, dedicated in 1914. As it turned out few burials were made there and soon removed to this cemetery because of the condition of the land. It was too rocky for digging the depth needed for burials.I have transcribed from photos taken when I walked the cemetery on Jun 07, 2001. I then compared my work with the Sexton files provided me by the office of Temple Beth Shalom.Most of the headstones were upright with the star of David, usually on the top center front. Many had Hebrew writing on them, both front and back. I found a few which were only in Hebrew, except for the name. I found the stones to be very original and quite beautiful."

TACOMA:

Givas Olom: Source: Alan Hirshfeld's submission of "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 Committee.
Home of Peace Cemetery: {10937}
http://www.jgsws.org/homeofpeacetacoma.xls has burial index.
Founded by the First Hebrew Benevolent Society. Home of Peace Cemetery is located in Tacoma, Pierce County. The city of Tacoma has a 1990 population of 176,664. Pierce County has a 1990 population of 359,703. The city is located at 47.25200 N, 122.45976 W. The cemetery address is 5421 Steilacoom Boulevard SW, Tacoma, WA. Inquiries regarding burials should be sent to Fav Witenberg, PO Box 11183, Tacoma, WA, 98411. Telephone (253) 473-1464. The local funeral home most frequently used by Jewish families is Gaffney, Cassedy, Allen & Buckley King. They are located on Yakima at Tenth, Tacoma, WA 98405. 1-800-215-2166. Mrs. Freedman researched their early account journals and included their journal page numbers as a cross-reference when available. The cemetery burials are indexed and computerized. The cemetery is willing to share the database. Many records have biographical data. Some have funeral director information. None have a health department number.
The cemetery serves the communities of Tacoma, Steilacoom, Pullayup, Gig Harbor, Lakewood, and University Place and members of the congregation of Temple Beth El, formerly Temple Beth Israel and Talmud Torah. A caretaker lives on site, closing the gates at 10 p.m. There is no flower policy. The Jewish community in the Tacoma area began with a few families in Steilacoom and Olympia in the 1860's. By the 1870's, several families were established in Tacoma, which grew rapidly. The cemetery began in 1889 as the First Hebrew Benevolent Society. It was incorporated in February of 1891. The first temple was built in 1893. The cemetery is active and is used by both Reform and Conservative families. Located in a suburban area, this separate cemetery can be reached by turning directly off of a public road. A low stone wall and a sign in English mark it. It is open to all.
The cemetery association owns eight acres, but only about two acres are currently in use. Rows and blocks organize it, but the sections are not separate. Originally, sections were set aside for infants and single deaths, but those lines have blurred through the years. The oldest gravestone, from 1886, was moved from Olympia after the cemetery was formed in 1889. Many tombstones are datable from the 19th century. Of the over 700 graves, over one-tenth are unmarked. [Source?]
Chevra Kadisha Cemetery: (also called Block 41) is a small cemetery within Home of Peace Cemetery and Jewish Pioneer Graves in Masonic Memorial Park. A separate adjoining cemetery, Chevra Kadisha, was created July 29,1914 with less than 50 graves. The cemeteries merged in 1978. The cemetery association is open to all members of the Jewish faith and is governed by a board of trustees. The land was 109x104 feet and located southeast of the Home of Peace Cemetery, with a 30-foot strip of land separating the two. The purchase was "upon the conditions that the purchasers who were buying said premises would use the same for burial purposes. A more Orthodox portion of the community called for the Chevra Kadisha Cemetery at the corner of Lakewood Boulevard and Steilacoom Boulevard. There are at least 26 graves there, including burials from 1922 until 1978. In 1979, the Home of Peace Cemetery Association took over the assets of the Chevra Kadisha and assumed responsibility for it. Over eighty people lie in unmarked graves. For some only a name and possibly a date are known. Eight are simply unknown.
Temple Beth Hatfiloh Cemetery: Located in the Masonic Memorial Park at 455 North Street Tumwater, Washington 98501. Directions: From I-5, take the Capitol exit. Go south on Capitol Way from downtown Olympia. Cross over the freeway to a Y-intersection with Cleveland Avenue. Bear left on Cleveland and go 2 blocks to the stoplight. Turn left onto North Street. The cemetery is on the right. The Jewish portion is at the back, distinguishable by a chained perimeter. The gates carry the Star of David.
The Olympia Lodge of the Masons formed the cemetery in July 1857. The Jewish portion was established in 1874 when the Hebrew Benevolent Society of Puget Sound purchased three acres of land in the cemetery for $50. In 1922, a portion of that land was returned to the lodge. In 1955, it was turned over to Temple Beth Hatfiloh. Around 1995, the cemetery purchased another section of land within the Memorial Park. The new section is called the family cemetery and provides an alternative for those who wish to be cremated or buried next to a non-Jewish spouse. Ben Bean oversees the cemetery, as did his brother and father before him. Compiled by Deborah K. Freedman, with help from Jeff Freedman, Herman Kleiner, Fav Witenberg, Si Rose & Hilde Slotnick; sent by Deborah Freedman, e-mail: debfree@juno.com

UNIVERSITY PLACE: see TACOMA

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WASHINGTON STATE

All individuals involved in the creation of this project are volunteers.
The right to make one copy for personal use with full citation is hereby granted;
however, no profit is to be made from the use of this website's information.

Web Format Courtesy of Design-Studios.com and Open Sky Web Design
©IAJGS 2000-2006 - All Rights Reserved

Revised Wednesday December 12 2007

WASHINGTON STATE

All individuals involved in the creation of this project are volunteers. The right to make one copy for personal use with full citation is hereby granted; however, no profit is to be made from the use of this website's information.

Web Format Courtesy of Design-Studios.com and Open Sky Web Design ©IAJGS 2000-2006 - All Rights Reserved

Revised Wednesday December 12 2007

All individuals involved in the creation of this project are volunteers.
The right to make one copy for personal use with full citation is hereby granted;
however, no profit is to be made from the use of this website's information.

Web Format Courtesy of Design-Studios.com and Open Sky Web Design
©IAJGS 2000-2006 - All Rights Reserved