We are pleased with the news that the Willesden Jewish Cemetery has been included on the roster of Significant Cemeteries recognized by the Association of Significant Cemeteries in Europe (ASCE), making it one of the few Jewish cemeteries among the more than 200 cemeteries on the ASCE list.
The ASCE is a European network “comprising those public and private organisations which care for cemeteries considered to be of historical or artistic importance.”
Inclusion on the Significant Cemeteries list is not determined “from above,” but by application from a cemetery’s management. To be included on the list, the organization that manages a cemetery must first be a member of the ASCE and then submit an application that includes a variety of detailed information, including commitment to the cemetery’s ongoing management, descriptions, photos, books, brochures, etc.
Despite the complexity, we encourage Jewish cemetery managers to investigate this possibility and join.
As far as we can see, in addition to Willesden, the only other Jewish cemeteries on the Significant Cemetery list are the Salgótarjáni Street Jewish Cemetery in Budapest, the Jewish Cemetery in Finale Emilia, Italy, and the Jewish Cemetery in Reggio Emilia, Italy.
(But some municipal cemeteries that have a Jewish section, such as the Boninovo Cemetery in Dubrovnik, Croatia, and Vienna’s Central Cemetery, are also included on the list.)
We have followed the development of the Willesden Jewish cemetery into a place of public heritage known as the House of Life for nearly a decade, posting a number of times, most recently in December 2025, when we posted a number of photographs following our visit there.
One of the largest and most important of England’s Victorian-era Jewish burial places, Willesden opened in 1873 and today includes nearly 30,000 graves. Still an active cemetery, it is listed as a Grade II historic site, as are its complex of neo-gothic buildings, several tombs, and its main war memorial.
“This prestigious recognition places Willesden among a distinguished network of historic cemeteries across Europe, acknowledging both the site’s rich heritage and our growing work in education, community engagement and interpretation,” Willesden Cemetery said on its web site.