One day last year an elderly man, carrying a tattered book and a small file of historical records from the Agudath Israel Cemetery in West Roxbury, made an unexpected visit to the offices of the Jewish Cemetery Association of Massachusetts (JCAM) in Needham Heights.
Jamie Cotel, the association’s executive director, invited the man in for a cup of coffee, and he talked about the fact that many members of his family were buried there. He had served as the manager of the cemetery but could no longer because of his age and declining health.
“His eyes were bleary, and we sat down with him in our conference room, and he told us the story of the cemetery and of some the families, in addition to his own, who rest there,” Cotel recalled.
The man, who Cotel declined to identify because of privacy concerns, requested that JCAM take over the 80-year-old cemetery, maintain its records of some 3,700 graves, preserve and maintain the property, and take responsibility for future burials.
He already knew the answer, as JCAM has been acquiring cemeteries, many in similar situations, since it was founded 40 years ago when it took over 17 abandoned Jewish cemeteries, five of which were in disrepair.
Today, the nonprofit is believed to be the largest Jewish cemetery association in the country, managing some 120 Jewish burial grounds throughout the state.
Altogether, there are some 200 Jewish cemeteries in the Commonwealth. The first one – Temple Ohabei Shalom Cemetery in East Boston – was built in 1844.
Previously, Jews in Massachusetts were buried in Rhode Island, according to Northeastern University’s Digital History of the Jews of Boston.
JCAM has funded extensive work at Ohabei Shalom, Cotel said, including the restoration of “hundreds of monuments,” retaining the perimeter walls around the cemetery, and new fencing. It is currently working on the restoration of the inside of the chapel at the cemetery.
It is a costly endeavor. Last year, JCAM – which has a $25 million perpetual care trust fund – had a net operating loss of $1.01 million. The association spent more than $2.4 million in maintaining and rehabilitating its cemeteries.
Cotel said an increasing amount of money is needed to assist families and individuals in need by donating free graves and, in some cases, interring individuals at a discount to those who qualify. JCAM has set up a Helping Hand Fund to support those efforts.
While the association’s trust fund and fees for burials and plots are the major sources of revenue, she said charitable donations from individuals are “critical” to JCAM.
“Most [cemeteries] come to us and don’t have assets or endowments,” Cotel said. “But it is our obligation to take care of the cemeteries, provide a dignified burial, and to care for the family members that are there in perpetuity.”
Cotel said there were several contributing factors for the deficit in what she called “an unusual year.”
Labor costs increased dramatically, storms caused an unusually large number of trees to fall and knock down monuments and walls, concerns regarding the increase in antisemitism resulted in higher expenses for security, and there were fewer burials than normal, she explained.
“It is challenging to maintain the old cemeteries,” Cotel said. “You can walk by a wall one day and it looks fine. The next day it could collapse. It is very hard to predict.”
While vandalism is rare at Jewish cemeteries in Massachusetts, Cotel said, a fence was set on fire at the Workmen’s Circle Cemetery in Melrose last month. The fire scorched one monument and other monuments were toppled.
The Melrose Police Department is investigating the incident, according to Cotel. She reported the desecration to the Combined Jewish Philanthropies Communal Security Initiative and the Anti-Defamation League.
“The security of our cemeteries is of utmost importance to JCAM,” she said.
Nationally, there has been an uptick in antisemitic acts at Jewish cemeteries, including desecrating gravestones and overturning headstones. Earlier this summer, nearly 180 gravestones at two Jewish cemeteries in Cincinnati were vandalized, some cracked in half.
JCAM has invested more money in recent years on security – purchasing more than 30 cameras – and has worked closely with local police departments and CJP.
While the association’s primary focus is on maintaining and restoring the cemeteries, JCAM has also invested in a new management system, providing a number of other services to the community, including free consulting services to Jewish cemeteries throughout the region.
Individuals seeking to navigate challenging issues relating to burials also call on the association’s staff for support. In one recent case, a Newton man wanted to assist an elderly aunt who wanted to be buried near her parents in a cemetery in West Roxbury, but her husband was interred in another cemetery.
JCAM staff were able to arrange for her late husband’s casket to be moved to a location near her late parents so the entire family could be close to each other.
JCAM also runs an annual burial for sacred items that are worn or no longer usable, such as Torah scrolls and covers, prayer books, tefillin, and tallit. The association collects the items throughout the year and stores them in a community genizah (depository). Some of the items are donated and everything else is buried at a ceremony open to the public. Θ
The association will hold its annual meeting celebrating its 40th anniversary from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Nov. 10, at Temple Emanuel in Newton. For information, call 617 244-6509 or email jcam-office@jcam.org.
