Temple Ohabei Shalom Cemetery

Temple Ohabei Shalom Cemetery is a historic Jewish cemetery located at 147 Wordsworth Street in East Boston, Massachusetts.

Temple Ohabei Shalom Cemetery
View of the cemetery in 2009.
Location147 Wordsworth Street
East Boston, Massachusetts
Coordinates42°22′57″N 71°0′52.5″W
Area2.4 acres (0.97 ha)
Built1844
ArchitectJohn A. Hasty
Architectural styleGothic Revival
NRHP reference No.08000795[1]
Added to NRHPAugust 19, 2008

History

In 1844, Boston's first synagogue, the Temple Ohabei Shalom in Brookline, asked permission from the Boston City Council to purchase the lot as a burying place. This cemetery was the first legally established Jewish cemetery in the state. Prior to this, Jews from Boston were buried in more distant locations such as Touro Cemetery in Rhode Island. In 1996, the Temple Ohabei Shalom ceded the property to the Jewish Cemetery Association.

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. It became the first Jewish cemetery to receive the honor.[2]

Chapel

The cemetery is home to the oldest surviving Jewish chapel in Massachusetts, dedicated in 1903.  The Mystic River Jewish Project is currently restoring the Gothic Revival chapel for use as a museum.[3]

South side of the chapel
West side of the chapel
View of cemetery with trees
View of a row of gravestones

See also
  • National Register of Historic Places listings in northern Boston, Massachusetts

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. "First Jewish Cemetery in Massachusetts Voted to National Register of Historic Places]". Jewish Cemetery Association. Retrieved March 19, 2013.
  3. "The Boston Jewish Immigration History Project". Jewish Cemetery Association. Retrieved March 19, 2013.
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