Visiting the Family at Newark Cemeteries

Once each year, around the high holy days, a number of Newark cemeteries open their gates to the public. This year, the 22nd Newark Cemetery Visiting Day, sponsored by the United Jewish Communities, was held on Sunday, September 12. The annual event allows the public to view family gravesites while there is a police presence, since many of the areas are fairly remote. The annual event also attracts local historians, since Newark cemeteries date back centuries.

An information table was set up at the offices Raiken Memorials, Inc. at 308 Grove St., Newark, NJ. Company representatives Carol Blaustein and Ira Epstein were there to direct visitors and offer advice on finding individual gravesites.

The Jewish Historical Cemeteries were McClellan Street, Talmud Torah, Grove Street and B'nai Abraham Cemetery (Union Field is connected). Each of these cemeteries is broken up into smaller groupings usually separate congregations, fraternal organizations or burial societies. 

While the areas felt quiet and safe during our visit, at B'nai Abraham Cemetery we did not see a patrol officer. One woman we spoke to there expressed her concern with the lack of security. She was worried about thieves and graffiti. While walking the cemeteries, we saw some beautifully maintained tombstones, but nearby, there were also desecrated and vandalized ones.

We saw some familiar last names on gravestones. While these people probably aren't related to their namesakes, it's still interesting to speculate about who may or may not have Essex County roots (Jerry Seinfeld? Eliot Spitzer?). We noticed some tombstones right next to each other with very similar last names that were spelled slightly differently. Were these names misspelled and mixed up on arrival to the U.S.? Who knows.

We stumbled upon our own genealogical discovery while walking around. There was a grave with the same unusual family name as a close friend's mother. Her great-great-grandfather? Another long-lost relative? We're still checking it out.