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Jewish Cemeteries
in New Orleans
New Orleans
Area Genealogical
Resources
Resources in the
Jefferson Parish
Regional Library
Finding Your
New Orleans
Roots: A Handy
Reference Guide
DIRECTORY OF
LOUISIANA GENEALOGICAL
LIBRARIES AND
HISTORICAL SOCIETIES:
Alexandria Historical &
Genealogical Library
503 Washington
Alexandria, LA 71301
Allen Genealogical &
Historical Society
P.O. Box 789
Kinder, LA 70648
Ark-La-Tex Genealogical
Association
P.O. Box 4462
Shreveport, LA 73314-0462
Baton Rouge Diocese
Archives Department
P.O. Box 2028
Baton Rouge, LA 70821
Baton Rouge Genealogical
& Historical Society
P.O. Box 80565, SE Station
Baton Rouge, LA 70898
Bluebonnet Regional
Branch Library
9200 Bluebonnet Blvd.
Baton Rouge, LA 70810
Central Louisiana
Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 12206
Alexandria, LA 71315-2006
East Ascension Genealogical
& Historical Society
Ascension Parish Library
Gonzales, LA 70707-1006
East Baton Rouge
Parish Library
Bluebonnet Regional Branch
9200 Bluebonnet Blvd.
Baton Rouge, LA 70810
Erbon & Marie Wise
Genealogical Library
Louisiana State Archives
3851 Essen Lane
Baton Rouge, LA 70804
Feliciana (East) History
Committee
P.O. Box 8341
Clinton, LA 70722
Feliciana (West) Historical
Society
P.O. Box 338
St. Francisville, LA 70775
Friends of Genealogy
P.O. Box 17835
Shreveport, LA 71138
Genealogical Research
Society of New Orleans
P.O. Box 51791
New Orleans, LA 70150
Hill Memorial Library
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
Howard Tilton Library
Tulane University
Special Collections
6823 St. Charles Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70118
Jefferson Parish
Regional Library
4747 W. Napoleon Avenue
Metairie, LA 70001
Jefferson Genealogical
Society
P.O. Box 961
Metairie, LA 70004-0961
Jennings, Louisiana
Genealogical Society
136 Greenwood Drive
Jennings, LA 70546
Lafayette Genealogical
Society
c/o Susie Perry
105 Gill Drive
Lafayette, LA 70507
Lafourche Heritage
Society
412 Menard Street
Thibodaux, LA 70301
Lincoln Parish Library
P.O. Box 637
Ruston, LA 71270
Louisiana Daughters
of the American
Revolution
2564 Donald Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70809
Louisiana Genealogical &
Historical Society
P.O. Box 82060
Baton Rouge, LA 70884-2060
Louisiana Society,
Sons of the
American Revolution
3059 Belmont Avenue
Baton Rouge, LA 70808
Louisiana State Library
State Capitol Grounds
Baton Rouge, LA 70804
Mississippi Memories Society
P.O. Box 18991
Shreveport, LA 71138
Natchitoches Genealogical
& Historical Association
P.O. Box 1349
Natchitoches, LA 71458-1349
New Orleans Public
Library
Louisiana Collection
219 Loyola Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70140
North Louisiana Genealogical
Society
P.O. Box 324
Ruston, LA 71270
Ouachita Parish
Public Library
1800 Stubbs Avenue
Monroe, LA 71201
Plaquemines Parish
Genealogical Society
203 Hwy. 23
South Buras, LA 70041
Rapides Parish Library
411 Washington Street
Alexandria, LA 71301
Saint-Domingue Special
Interest Group
1514 St. Roch Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70117-8347
Shreve Memorial Library
Genealogy Department
P.O. Box 21523
Shreveport, LA 71120
Southwest Louisiana
Genealogical &
Historical Library
411 Pujo Street
Lake Charles, LA 706061
Southwest Louisiana
Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 5652
Lake Charles, LA 70606-5652
St. Bernard Parish
Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 271
Chalmette, LA 70044
Tangipahoa Parish Library
P.O. Box 578
Amite, LA 70422
Vermillion Parish
Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 117
Abbeville, LA 70511-0117
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LOCAL
RESOURCES |
Genealogy Resources Specifically Related to the New Orleans Jewish Community
compiled by Ellen Barnett Cleary, JGSNO, April 2001
1) FAMILY HISTORY CENTER (MORMON)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
5025 Cleveland Place
Metairie LA
885-3936
To find information in the Family History Catalog about Jews, look up the locality that interests you (e.g. Louisiana) and
then enter JEWISH as the name.
To find information on MICROFICHE about Jews, use the SUBJECT fiche and look under JEWS.
Materials available on microfilm of specific interest include:
A) The following are microfilms are available at the New Orleans Public Library Louisiana Division, the Jefferson Parish Regional Library Special Collections and are also on permanent loan at the metairie Family History Center. Thay are microfilms of the original material described in Item number 5, the Louisiana State Museum Historical Center Hebrew Cemetery headstone inscriptions:
Hebrew Cemetery at Canal and N. Anthony Streets
Records, 1846-1933.
(Dispersed of Judah)
A-Hyman: 1292081 Item 2
Isaacks-Z: 1292082 Item 1
Hebrew Cemetery at Canal and S. Anthony Streets
Records, 1846-1933
(Beth Israel, Chevra Thilim, old Gates of Prayer)
1292082 Item 2
Hebrew Cemetery at Frenchmen and Gentilly Streets
Records, 1866-1880.
(possibly Ahaves Shalom and Anshe Sfard)
1292082 Item 3
Hebrew Cemetery at Gentilly and Elysian Fields Streets
Records, 1866-1880.
(Hebrew Rest)
1292082 Item 5
Hebrew Cemetery at Jackson and Saratoga Streets
Records, 1834-1919
(Gates of Mercy, now demolished)
1292082 Item 6
Hebrew Cemetery at Joseph and Garfield Streets
Records, 1856-1930.
(Gates of Prayer)
1292082 Item 4
B) The film below is available at the New Orleans Public Library Louisiana Division. The originals of these records are available at the Touro Infirmary Archives, but it is preferable to view this information on microfilm so the quality of the original records can be maintained.
Touro Infirmary (New Orleans, LA)
Infirmary records, 1855-1934
Golden Book of Life 1885-1934 ( The Golden Book of Life was sponsored by the Hebrew Benevolent Association as a listing of contributors to Touro Infirmary);
Patient records 1869-1891;
Record of deaths 1879-1916;
admission book 1855-1860
Film #1064455
C) The following microfilms are available at the Jefferson Parish Library Special Collections:
Congregation Berith Abraham (New Orleans, LA)
Circumcision records 1875-1887 with Congregation Sod Haschem of Germany) 0899919 Item 1-2
Circumcision records, 1875-1887
Film #0978423, Item 1
Congregation Temme Derech (New Orleans, LA)
Register of deaths and interments 1858-1883
Deaths and interments 1858-1883, Film #1012749, Item 1
Deaths and interments 1858-1901, Film #1013425, Item 1
Congregation Gates of Prayer (New Orleans, LA)
Register of marriages, 1870-1911
Film #1012748, Item 3
Inventory of the church and synagogue archives of Louisiana: Jewish congregations and organizations, prepared by the Service Programs, Work Projects Administration - University, La: Dept, of Archives, L.S.U., 1941. - xv.183
Film # 0908505
Home for Jewish Widows and Orphans (New Orleans, LA)
Aniversary addresses and annual reports relating to the Jewish Widows' and Orphans' Home: from its beginning in August 1885 to January 8, 1861.
Film #0899919, Item 3
2) HISTORIC NEW ORLEANS COLLECTION
The Williams Research Division
Manuscripts Division
410 Chartres St.
New Orleans LA 70130
504-598-7171
10 AM-4:30PM, Tuesday through Saturday
Microfilms of Gates of Prayer Cemetery Interment Records 1860-1870, and Hebrew Rest Cemetery (Congregation Temple Sinai, Touro Synagogue, and Dispersed of Judah Congregation) Indices and Interments 1830s-1982.
3) JEFFERSON PARISH PUBLIC LIBRARY
Special Collections and Genealogy
4747 W. Napoleon Av
Metairie LA 70001
Monday-Thursday 9 AM-8 PM;
Friday & Saturday 9 AM-5 PM;
Sunday 1 PM-5 PM
504-849-8806
Located on the second floor of the East Bank Regional Library, this collection includes a section of Jewish resources as well as some microfiche and microfilm of specific Jewish interest.
There is also a file of obituary citations from the New Orleans newspapers beginning with obituaries of December 1972. While not exclusively related to the Jewish community, this is an excellent resource if you don't know an ancestor's date of death.
4) JEWISH GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY OF NEW ORLEANS
PO Box 7811
Metairie LA 70010
504-888-3817
Meetings are generally held on the first Sunday of the month at 2PM, alternating between the Metairie Jewish Community Center and the New Orleans Jewish Community Center (Uptown).
5) LOUISIANA STATE MUSEUM HISTORICAL CENTER
Located in the Old Mint, 400 Esplanade Ave.
New Orleans LA 70176-2448
504-568-8214
Tuesday-Friday 9 AM-5 PM
THE HISTORICAL CENTER IS STAFFED BY VOLUNTEERS AND THEY ARE VERY FEW IN NUMBER. IF YOU WANT TO USE THESE RESOURCES, YOU MUST CALL TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT.
IT WILL BE A REAL COURTESY TO THEM IF YOU ARE EXTREMELY WELL ORGANIZED AND ARRIVE WITH AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE, ALLOWING YOU TO DO AS MUCH AS YOU CAN IN ONE VISIT TO THE CENTER.
In the 1930's, the WPA recorded the inscriptions on headstones in New Orleans cemeteries. The collection includes all of the following Jewish cemeteries under the title Hebrew Cemetery: (These materials are also available on microfilm on permanent loan at the Family History Center, as described in Item Number 1 A, and are in the collections of the New Orleans Public Library Louisiana Division and the Jefferson Parish Regional Library Special Collections.)
Canal and N. Anthony Sts. (Dispersed of Judah)
Canal and S. Anthony Sts. (Beth Israel, Chevra Thilim, old Gates of Prayer)
Frenchmen and Gentilly (possibly Ahaves Shalom and Anshe Sfard)
Garfield and Joseph (Gates of Prayer Joseph St. Cemetery)
Elysian Fields (Hebrew Rest)
Jackson and Saratoga (Gates of Mercy, now demolished)
If for some reason the above contact information is out of date, you can find the phone number for the Historical Center in the telephone directory under State of Louisiana/Dept. of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism/Louisiana State Museum.
6) NEW ORLEANS PUBLIC LIBRARY
Louisiana Division
219 Loyola Ave
New Orleans LA 70112-2044
504-596-2610
Monday-Thursday 11 AM-6 PM;
Saturday 11 AM-5 PM
Of particular interest is the file of obituary citations from the New Orleans newspapers for 1804-1811, 1814-1815, and 1837-1972. Theere is also an index of marriages performed by Justices of the Peace from 1840-1880. These are not solely Jewish records, but are invaluable resources for local genealogical research.
7) TOURO INFIRMARY ARCHIVES
Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday
9 AM-4 PM
504-897-8090
Researchers are welcome to come into these archives and search the materials. Please contact Catherine Kahn, Archivist, for an appointment.
The collection contains the minutes and annual reports of Touro
Infirmary from 1855 to the present. In 1874, the Hebrew Benevolent Association joined with Touro, until 1933. In 1877, B'nai B'rith, District 7 (the Southern States) sent elderly
members to Touro for care and housing. In 1898, the Julius Weis Home for the Aged was built on Touro's campus, and continued to care for elderly until the B'nai B'rith Home was built in Memphis in 1933. The minutes and annual reports reflect governance of all these institutions. Included in the Archives are records of the Ladies' Aid and Sewing Society, which became the Touro Infirmary Auxiliary, and the Touro Infirmary School of
Nursing (1896-1987). For complete inventory, see "Jews of New Orleans, An Archival Guide" published by the Greater New Orleans Archivists.
Admission records from 1855 - 1890 are part of the collection. These materials are also available on microfilm at the New Orleans Public Library. It is preferred that you access the microfilmed version so that the condition of the original materials can be preserved. However, you are welcome to visit the archives and search the material.
8) TULANE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
Special Collections
JOSEPH MERRICK JONES HALL -- Room 202
504-865-5685
Monday-Friday 8:45 AM-4:45 PM
The Temple Sinai Collection (223) and The Touro Synagogue Collection (224), which are part of the MANUSCRIPTS Department, include marriage and burial records along with other interesting materials.
The marriage records include marriage contracts from Congregation Shangarai Chassed and marriage certificates which are signed by the bride, groom, and witnesses as well as the rabbi for Gates of Mercy of the Dispersed of Judah and Touro Synagogue congregations.
The Jewish Children's Home Collection (180) includes restricted records which can be accessed by anyone who will agree not reveal specific names of individual clients.
Also of interest is the Louisiana Collection citation file. This is an index of certain materials included in the Louisiana collection. You may find references to an ancestor here. This file is VERY LIMITED and it has NOT been updated recently, but it may be worth consulting if you have an ancestor of notoriety.
9) JEWISH GENEALOGY RESOURCES ON THE INTERNET
Jewish Genealogy http://www.jewishgen.org
Avotaynu http://www.avotaynu.com
10) Jews of New Orleans: an Archival Guide
by Andrew Simons and the Greater New Orleans Archivists, with a historical introduction
by Irwin Lachoff, edited by Lester Sullivan, published by the Greater New Orleans Archivists, 1998; New Orleans.
This guide, which costs ten dollars, is an invaluable description of materials available in 28 collections, repositories, and congregations in the New Orleans area.
11) AMERICAN JEWISH ARCHIVES
The American Jewish Archives have the following microfilms of New Orleans records. The Jefferson Parish Public Library can also borrow them free of charge for anyone who holds a Jefferson Parish Public Library card. Some of these are also available through the Family History Center, described in Item number 1.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA. BERITH ABRAHAM CONGREGATION.
Records, 1829-1875. 1 reel microfilm.
Microfilm copy of circumcision records.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA. CONGREGATION SHANGARAI CHASSED (TOURO SYNAGOGUE).
Records, 1841-1955. 6.7 linear ft., 2 reels microfilm.
Collection includes microfilm and photocopies of by-laws (1841), congregational minutebooks (1850-1913), Executive Committee minutes (1853-1947), financial records (1851-1926), list of confirmands (1887-1955), and marriage, birth and death records
(1843-1904).
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA. CONGREGATION TEMPLE SINAI.
Records, 1870-1937. 1.6 linear ft.
Collection consists of copies of congregational and Board of Trustees minutebooks.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA. CONGREGATION TEMEME DERECH.
Records, 1858-1901. 0.8 linear ft.
Includes congregational death and burial records and New Orleans' Board of Health death certificates.
If you find any errors in this material or wish to make any suggestions, I welcome your input.
Ellen Barnett Cleary
ellencleary@earthlink.net
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