Levy intended the land to be a place for “the interment of Hebrews.” However, in later years, prominent Jewish families would contend over owning specific interment plots within the cemetery. The Gratz family, specifically, laid claim to a specific reservation within the cemetery, resulting in their family plot being grouped distinctly within the cemetery. Ultimately, the Hebrew Congregation of Philadelphia would purchase the land from the City of Philadelphia and extend the boundaries of the cemetery.
How do boundaries affect the living memories of deceased people? Why did both Levy and the Gratz family feel intent upon protecting the locations of their interment?
Sources:
“The Jews of Philadelphia : their history from the earliest settlements to the present time” Morais, Henry. 1894 The Levytype Company, Philadelphia. Digitized by the Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/jewsofphiladelph00morauoft/page/n1/mode/2up
“The Jewish Cemetery” Elmaleh, LH and Samuel, J. 1906.
Deirdre–
I love the background you give about Levy’s role in establishing the cemetery and your question about boundaries in the living is so poignant! Such a great choice of stone! I was delighted to see that you figured out how to put a link to this post on your personal page as well–that is awesome! Your question about the color is a good one–we should definitely talk about it in class.
well done!
Laura