Tag Archives: Cemeteries

Eastern Suburbs Workshop – Feb 17, 2019

Cemeteries and Symbols – Understanding Jewish cemeteries and burial records

  • Ever wondered about the symbolism or Hebrew writing on your ancestor’s headstone?
  • In small cemeteries, why do some graves appear to be located apart from the rest?
  • Do you know where to look for your great-grandparents’ burials?

This talk by Robyn Dryen will help you navigate the customs and practice of Jewish burials, and identify likely sources of burial records for your ancestors.

When: Sunday, 17 February 2019
Time: 2pm – 4.45pm
Where: Theatrette, Waverley Library,
32-48 Denison Street, Bondi Junction

The talk will begin at 2.30 and will last approximately 1 hour.
It will be followed by time for questions , queries and research help between 3.30pm and 4.30pm

This is a free event. All are welcome but please RSVP to society@ajgs.org.au by 14 February

WELCOME THE NEW KOSHER KOALA

Click on the cover to download the PDF.

New look, new editor, same bear!! Kosher Koala has had a facelift but we hope you’ll find the same fascinating features, interesting interviews and non-stop news, views, tips and tricks to guide you along your genealogical journey.

In this issue… We say farewell to outgoing editor Robyn Dryen (don’t worry, she’s still President!!), welcome new editor Dani Haski, Sunny Gold reviews Peter Nash’s memoir Escape from Berlin: A refugee flees anti-Semitism and the Holocaust of WWII to Shanghai and then Australia and we explore a fascinating collection of stories about cemeteries. We have updates on the 2018 AIJGS conference in Poland, a new column, Sledgehammer, for people to share brick wall breakthroughs and information on special events and workshops for 2018.

We love our members contributing stories to Kosher Koala. If you have any stories you’d like to share email them to me at ed@ajgs.org.au

Enjoy the issue!

A hidden gem found in Plymouth

(Image: Sarah Waddington, Plymouth Herald, used with permission)

Sometimes a story comes to light that genealogically speaking just warms your cockles. In late September Sarah Waddington, of The Herald in Plymouth, England,  reported on a chance discovery by a local man that has turned into a genealogical gem for those with ancestors in the area – a 300 year old Jewish cemetery.

Jerry Sibley, the Synagogue caretaker (himself not Jewish), discovered, behind a high wall and a locked door, the original resting place of the early jewish inhabitants of Plymouth. How this cemetery got “lost” is unknown but few in the area seemed to know of its existence.

Jerry Sibley, Synagogue Caretaker (Image: Sarah Waddington, Plymouth Herald, used with permission)

As Sarah writes in The Herald: “After seeing a reference to The Old Jewish Cemetery on Lambhay Hill, Jerry went in search of it – but was still unsuccessful. That’s when he used his initiative and utilised Google Maps.

“I started to look at every single plot on the road,” he said, “and that is when I noticed there were three legs to Lambhay Hill, not just the two, and eventually I found this lovely green spot that seemed to be nothing. I thought, ‘Well, it is a very good chance it is going to be there.

“I really zoomed in on it and you could just make out a couple of the headstones, so from there I came up to take a look, but I could not get in, so the treasurer at the time gave me a whole box of keys and said, ‘Help yourself’.

Jerry eventually managed to find the right key, and what he discovered when he opened the door stopped him in his tracks.”

The Old Jewish Cemetery in Plymouth (Image: Sarah Waddington, Plymouth Herald; used with permission)

The folk from Ripple Theatre, a local theatre group, helped Jerry clear the site of weeds and trees and then recorded dramatised histories of the “residents” of the cemetery as an audio trail, just in time for the Plymouth Art Weekend. Their efforts have created a valuable and lasting legacy for historians, descendants and those who are just plain curious about those buried on Lambhay Hill.

Joining them at rest now is Barney, Jerry’s cat: “He took to life at the Synagogue like nothing like I’ve ever come across before. Not only did he used to sit in the vestry beside the door and watch the people coming in and out, but he always used to follow me to work and come with me to the services. He was a black and white cat and of course the men are all dressed in black and white, so he really did blend in. But Barney passed away at Easter, which in the Jewish calender is Passover – so he really did pass over at Passover.”

When Barney passed away Jerry obtained permission to bury him inside the cemetery grounds. As is the Jewish custom visitors have honoured Barney as they have the others buried there by placing stones on his grave.

You can read the whole story, and watch a video interview with Jerry Sibley, HERE at The Herald.

Rookwood Database Update

Ever since the Jewish Cemetery Trust (JCT) merged into the Rookwood Cemetery Trust there have been concerns about the fate of the wonderful resource that is the JCT database. The good news is that the database continues to be maintained and new burial details are uploaded weekly. This will continue until such time as the other denominations update and upgrade their data capture to the same standard as the Jewish database. The JCT website will only be merged into a general Rookwood cemetery database when it can be demonstrated that it provides the same access to data as currently exists.