The Oldest Jewish Cemetery in Europe: Josefov Prague Old Town Cemetery

Josefov was Prague's Jewish ghetto and it holds the one of the (if not the most) breathtaking “speak without words” cemeteries in all of the world. In the Old Jewish Cemetery in Josefov, there are more than 100,000 burials (graves being layered 12 deep in some places) with approximately 12,000 tombstones of all shapes and sizes, crowded closely together. This cemetery was used from 1439 to 1787, though never intended to hold so many Josefov residents; the amount, small space and natural age wear and tear are why at first glance one might get the impression this cemetery is forgotten and neglected. But this is far from the case- it is one of the most beloved places on earth. [The Nazis made it a policy to destroy all Jewish cemeteries, but Hitler ordered that this cemetery be left intact because he planned to build a Jewish museum in Prague after all the Jews in Europe had been exterminated]

The oldest grave in the old Jewish cemetery in Prague is that of rabbi, poet and physician Avigdor Kara, who died in 1439. Kara was one of the few survivors of a pogrom at Easter time in 1389 when approximately 3,000 Jews, almost the entire Jewish population in Prague, were killed by the Christians living in the city, after local Catholic priests accused the Jews of desecrating the Host used in the sacrament of Holy Communion (His original tombstone was recently replaced by a replica). There are also hundreds of unique and elaborate tombstones with inscriptions in Hebrew, detailing the lives of the more prominent Jews buried here. Many well-known Jews are buried in the Old Jewish Cemetery, most famous being Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel, legendary creator of the golem, Jewish version of Frankenstein. There of course are thousands of simple, tombstones which to me, are just as beautiful as the ornate ones.

Head(stone) Scratcher of the Month: Headstone Humor

Bonaventure Cemetery

Bonaventure Cemetery is a public cemetery located on a scenic bluff of the Wilmington River, east of Savannah, Georgia. The cemetery became famous when it was featured in the 1994 novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt, and in the movie (and later movie. The entrance to the cemetery is located at 330 Bonaventure Road.

Bonaventure Cemetery is located on the site of a plantation originally owned by John Mullryne. In 1846 the 600-acre Bonaventure Plantation and its private cemetery were sold to the Wiltberger family. In 1867 John Muir began his Thousand Mile Walk to Florida and the Gulf. In October he sojourned for six days and nights in the Bonaventure cemetery, sleeping upon graves overnight, this being the safest and cheapest accommodation that he could find while he waited for money to be expressed from home. He found the cemetery even then breathtakingly beautiful and inspiring and wrote a lengthy chapter upon it, "Camping in the Tombs." In 1907 the cemetery was purchased by the City of Savannah, making the cemetery public and changing the name to Bonaventure Cemetery.It is now the largest of the city's municipal cemeteries, containing nearly 160 acres.

The peaceful setting rests on a scenic bluff of the Wilmington River, east of Savannah. This charming site has been a world famous tourist destination for more than 150 years due to the old tree-lined roadways, the many notable persons interred, the unique cemetery sculpture and architecture, and the folklore associated with the site and the people.

Head(stone) Scratcher of the Month: Headstone Humor

These are the headstones of Robert Muniz y Rivera and his wife Bertha Babtista y Martinez, located at Our Lady of the Pillar Cemetery in Half Moon Bay. Robert was born to Joaquín Muñiz y Beauchamp [see past blog here] and Mary Jane Rivera y Rodriguez of Puerto Rico. While this particular family line endured a myriad of hardships, being part of the many Puerto Ricans who were forced to leave their beloved Puerto Rico for plantation live in the sugar cane fileds of Hawaii, eventually ending up in Half Moon Bay, it is wonderful to see perseverance in the face of humor.

Burying Point Cemetery, Salem Mass.

From June through September of 1692, nineteen men and women, all having been convicted of witchcraft, were carted to Gallows Hill, a barren slope near Salem Village, for hanging. Another man of over eighty years was pressed to death under heavy stones for refusing to submit to a trial on witchcraft charges. Hundreds of others faced accusations of witchcraft; dozens languished in jail for months without trials until the hysteria that swept through Puritan Massachusetts subsided. Many of those accused are interned at Burying Point Cemetery, MA.

The Burying Point Cemetery, also known as the Charter Street Cemetery, is the oldest cemetery in Salem and the second oldest cemetery in the country. It was started in 1637. While Burying Point is known as the cemetery which interns many of those who were accused of witchery and put to death in 1692, I don’t believe all (if any) of the bodies are actually buried here as history tells those charged with the crime of witchcraft were not allowed Christian burials (thrown to the side) and it was illegal for the family to remove a body from Gallows Hill following a hanging. However, Burying Point houses memorials to these historical figures commemorated by 20 benches, one for each of the victims actively put to death (not counting those who died in prison) in 1692- Rebecca Nurse, Bridget Bishop, Martha Carrier, Martha Corey, Mary Easty, Sarah Good, Susanna Martin, Mary Parker, Ann Pudeator, Margaret Scott , Sarah Wildes, Elizabeth Howe, Alice Parker, John Proctor, George Buroughs, George Jacobs, Samuel Wardell, and John Willard were all Hanged, and Giles Corey was “pressed” to death. Burying Point also interns Ann Putnam (Oct. 16, 1679-1716), the so-called leader of the "circle girls," the young girls whose accusations sparked the Salem Witch Trials who testified against the majority of convicted witches, is buried here next to her mother and father. Also interned are prominent Judges of the trials, John Hawthorne, Samuel Sewall, Cotton Mather and Increase Mather.

[see my blog on Rebbecca Nurse Graveyard]

Abandoned Cemetery: Purissima in Half Moon Bay

The town of Purissima was founded around 1860 and is located four miles south of Half Moon Bay. On September 15, 1868, prominent resident John Purcell deeded some of his property to the citizens of Purissima for a burial ground and the Purissima Cemetery was created with free burials to be provided to Purissima residents… By the 1930’s, the town of Purissima was abandoned. Other than an old schoolhouse and a cemetery and creek tucked away in the brush, there is no evidence of activity in this nestled away forgotten city of San Mateo County. No one is 100% sure as to what lead up Purissima into ghost town status; it is theorized to be a mix of difficulty in farming (it was too far out of the way) and the majority of prominent citizens all passing away around the same time period.

This cemetery is extremely difficult to find. Parts of the cemetery offer beautiful ocean views but the cemetery has been swallowed up by weeds, trees and poison oak and snakes and therefore dangerous to navigate through. In recent years, Purissima has been the focus of much attention, particularly “ghost hunting” groups. Perhaps this has something to do with the tale of the cemetery's first interment, a boy (whose name is recorded only as Downing) who reportedly fell ill and was buried alive. According to legend boy was only unconscious; the boy's distraught father opened the grave to put his doubts to rest and was horrified to see his son had turned over. What a frightening tale, be it fact or fiction; between stories such as this and the look of old abandoned cemeteries in general, its easy to surmise what keeps these ghostly tales going.

The cemetery itself contains many burials, including family plots. Many headstones are detached from the base; some of them lay in large chunks near a grave, and others have entirely disappeared. Whether missing or broken headstones are the work of vandals, or possibly the work of family members who wanted to salvage them for safekeeping, is unclear. I have no idea why a historical society has yet to jump in and organize a clean up of this lovely forgotten piece of history; I was told Purissima is left alone on purpose to detract vandals from causing further damage.

Photograph Copyright © 2005, Dayna Chalif

Dias de Los Muertos

Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a beautiful yet often misunderstood Latin American holiday where the memory of ancestors and the continuity of life are celebrated. It is believed that at this time the souls of the departed return to visit the living; it is not a time of sadness but of reflection and respect for loved ones. Although this celebration has ancient pre Columbian roots in Mexico as well as many other Latin American countries, the tradition is now celebrated worldwide by many, respectfully practiced by a variety of cultures.

El Día de Los Muertos originated in Mexico, perhaps as far back as 3000 years ago. Roots of the holiday are typically credited as beginning with the Olmecs, who passed the concept on to the Toltecs, Maya, Zapotec, Mixtec and Aztecs. It is believed Dia de Los Muertos-as we have come to know the observance-stems from an ancient Aztec festival dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl. In variation of this Dia de Los Muertos is now a mixture of indigenous, Catholic, and modern tradition, and includes beautiful offerings, gathering at cemeteries and socializing.

The traditions and activities which take place in celebration of the Day of the Dead are not universal- the manner of celebration varies regionally with folkloric traditions and also varies from place to place. In Brazil, Dia de Finados is a public holiday that many Brazilians celebrate by visiting cemeteries and churches. In Spain there are festivals and parades which end in people gather at cemeteries to pray for their dead loved ones. Guatemalans elaborately decorate gravestonesand incorporate barriletes gigantes — extravagant and enormous kites which are central to the festivities, and fiambre (cheese and meat salad) placed in altars in order to lure the dead back to earth. Similar observances occur elsewhere in Europe, and similarly themed celebrations appear in many Asian and African cultures as well. In Mexico, where the festive holiday is most revered and familiar, Los Dias de Los Muertos tradition varies from town to town. In Pátzcuaro the tradition is very different if the deceased is a child rather than an adult; the Godparents of a deceased child who set altars, food and pray in respect and appreciation for the parents. In the town of Ocotepec, resident’s open doors to visitors in exchange for veladoras (small wax candles) to show respect for the recently deceased and visitors in turn receive food. In the town of Mixquic, a cardboard coffin leads a candlelit procession through the streets to the town’s graveyards, where families gather to celebrate; candles remain lit to guide spirits home and midnight bells toll to call them back. And at Pomuch Cemetery in Campeche Mexico, old folk beliefs holds that poorly cared for relatives will become angry and walk the streets, so in order to avoid this, the bones are exhumed and cleaned by relatives during the holiday. In other parts of Mexico (especially the cities, where in recent years there are displaced other customs), children in costumes roam the streets, knocking on people's doors for a calaverita, a small gift of candies or money; they also ask passersby for it, somewhat similar to “Trick or Treating. Within the urban areas of Mexico City, the holiday is celebrated as a folk tradition, rather than a spiritual or religious affair.

While there are numerous differences within celebratory details, the holiday focus is on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember loved ones who have passed on. The majority of us are familiar with the aesthetic beauty in tradition connected with the holiday- building exquisite and elaborate altars to honor the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds(Tagetes erecta), photos, pan de muerto (bread of the dead), favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and later visiting graves with these as gifts. Dias de Los Muertos cemetery visits are an integral part of the holiday, as people visit cemeteries in order to show love and respect and visit the souls of the departed making these ofrendas (offerings) with the intent to encourage visits by the souls so that the souls will hear the prayers and the comments of the living directed to them. Celebrations often take a humorous tone, as celebrants remember funny events and anecdotes about the departed.