Britain’s Historic England has published a major report on Jewish cemeteries in England, available online in PDF form — Historic England 2019 Anglo-Jewish Burial Grounds: The Post Resettlement Period.
The illustrated, 24-page report, prepared by Nicky Smith and edited by Mark Bowden, is part of Historic England’s “Introductions to Heritage Assets (IHAs)” series. It was published online in January 2020 and is aimed at the general public.
The report gives a brief chronology of the Jewish presence in Britain, as well as an overview of Jewish cemetery and funeral practices.
It then addresses specifics of Jewish cemeteries in England.
Approximately 120 Jewish burial grounds in England date from before 1938. They are widely distributed in towns and cities where Jewish populations exist, or once existed. They have their own distinctive character and specific features which meet the religious requirements of Judaism, while also reflecting cultural traditions from their congregation’s country of origin. Demographic change, decay, vandalism and pressure to free land for development mean that many Jewish burial grounds, particularly those which have long closed for new burials, face an uncertain future today.[…]
The vast majority of Jewish cemeteries are plain and austere, with serried ranks of graves in gravel-covered plots. The arrangement of graves is generally chronological or by family grouping with later burials inserted next to family members. Segregation of male and female burials occurs until end of the 19th century in some Orthodox cemeteries. Infants are usually buried in separate areas, often in unmarked graves. While it is often said that Jewish burials face towards Jerusalem, in practice their alignment varies considerably and is more commonly towards the cemetery entrance. Headstones usually face towards the body, but a few have their inscriptions facing away, so visitors do not stand on the grave to read them. For the same reason, and to protect the Cohanim, the boundaries of individual graves are usually carefully delimited by kerbs.
The report goes on to discuss several specific Jewish cemeteries in England, as well as different gravestone styles and traditions, noting historical and religious contexts.
One section focuses on challenges for the future, including maintenance, noting that several cemeteries have been lost to development.
The report also provides information on online and print sources for Further Reading.
These include another lengthy Historic England report, from 2016 — “Jewish Burial Grounds: Understanding Values,” which was produced by Barker Langham for Historic England and highlights “the diverse values associated with historic Jewish burial grounds.”
This 34-page Report includes historical background, a map of Jewish cemeteries around the country, discussion of a range of general and specific issues, and several case studies of cemeteries in England and Scotland.
The report summarized the aims of its research as follows:
• To understand the heterogeneous values associated with Jewish burial grounds amongst the diverse communities that make up British Judaism
• To contribute to Historic England’s internal project on the ‘Assessment and Protection of Jewish Cemeteries’, which aims to enhance the protection of Jewish cemeteries in England through designation, local listing and the enhancement of Historic Environment Records
• To set the protection of Jewish cemeteries within the wider context of UK Judaism, as a means of identifying behaviours expected of those visiting and working in burial grounds
• To fully involve appropriate communities in the future management of Jewish burial grounds • To suggest new strategies for the management of historic Jewish cemeteries, based on best practice from across the UK
• To develop community focused methods for countering the threats facing Jewish cemeteries, especially vandalism and poor maintenance
• To ensure that Jewish burial grounds are preserved as vital components of the historic landscape, not just from an aesthetic or material perspective, but as a resource for genealogical research and a means of understanding the stories of community migration into and across the UK
• Where possible, to ensure that respect is shown and no offence caused in pursuing future research or assessment.
These aims give rise to a series of key research questions to be addressed:
• What place do burial grounds hold in Judaism, and how does this differ from other religious and cultural communities?
• What are the key Jewish legal considerations that need to be understood in the management of burial grounds?
• What are the main threats faced by Jewish communities in protecting their cemeteries?
• What are the values that individuals and Jewish groups have towards their cemeteries?
• How are these values manifest in and around burial grounds, and what are the implications of this for any future protection and management initiatives?
• What are the key organizations that should be included moving forward with any such initiatives, and what are the best methods of engagement for Historic England and other stakeholders?
Click here to access the Report published in January 2020
Click here to access the 2016 Report