When Denni and Carl Glick of Jackson walk through Temple Beth Israel Cemetery, it's like taking a step back in time.Jews arrived in Jackson in 1842, but the small community meant a synagogue could not be constructed until the early 1860s. The cemetery was dedicated in 1859. There are more than 270 burials which represent four or five generations of community families.
The two wander through the 1-acre burial plot on N. West Avenue, just south of the railroad tracks, and reminisce on the congregation's history, as told through inscriptions etched on the gravestones of family and friends.
Temple member Nancy Demeter spearheaded the process and researched its history. It was first approved by the State Historic Preservation Board, which forwarded the nomination to the National Park Service. Approval is expected.
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The Jackson MI cemetery of Temple Beth Israel has been lovingly tended by the members of that small, marvelous, very tight-knit congregation from generation to generation. It certainly deserves inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. And thanks to Nancy Demeter for her work on the project!
ReplyDeleteWe're proud to announce that the Keeper of the National Register accepted our nomination in June, and Temple Beth Israel's cemetery is now officially listed in the National Register of Historic Places. It is Michigan's oldest Jewish Cemetery in continuous use.
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