The following is a reprint of an article published in the February 5, 2025 issue of the Jewish Community Voice, titled 'JCF Refurbishing Jewish Section of New Camden Cemetery':
By MAAYAN GUTBEZAHL
Voice Staff
The Jewish section of the historic New Camden Cemetery, which serves as the final resting place for some of Southern New Jersey’s Jewish community dating back more than 100 years, is receiving some much-needed care. Spearheaded by the Jewish Community Foundation, Inc. (JCF), recent efforts have aimed to restore and preserve this sacred site. These efforts include the creation of a six-person steering committee that will oversee various maintenance endeavors in the hopes that such efforts will help preserve local history and provide everlasting dignity to the departed.
Located in Camden, a city that once boasted a thriving Jewish community up until the 1950s when most began to migrate to Cherry Hill and surrounding townships, the New Camden Cemetery is one of the oldest Jewish burial grounds in Southern New Jersey. These days, the Jewish section of the cemetery only sees a couple of burials a year. But with over 1,200 graves, some dating back to the 1890s, it serves as the final resting place for several community leaders, including Samuel Tarter, the first president of the Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey, as well as veterans and community members from a bygone era.
“There is a wealth of Jewish history that sits in this cemetery,” said Andi Levin, president of JCF. “It’s important for the community to protect and honor that history.”
Congregation Sons of Israel in Cherry Hill has helped oversee the grounds of the cemetery for the last several decades, but much of the maintenance necessary is somewhat complex. Several headstones have fallen into disrepair, with some toppled to the ground and in need of remounting–a labor-intensive task that requires specialized equipment to navigate narrow pathways and lift the heavy stones. Roots of old trees have also damaged headstones over time, and those without permanent housing have made the cemetery into a transitory home, even using the larger toppled headstones as makeshift tabletops.
To address these challenges, JCF, which holds an endowment fund to help maintain the cemetery, and its newly formed New Camden Cemetery Committee, are taking steps to ensure that the Jewish section of the cemetery isn’t forgotten, illustrating the importance of enshrining human dignity even to those who have long since passed–a Jewish value that extends from the living to the dead.
“In Jewish tradition, attending to those who have departed is considered a chesed shel emet–a true act of kindness- -as they cannot possibly reciprocate,” said Sid Goldberg, chair of the New Camden Cemetery Committee. “Our team is committed to enhancing the Jewish section of New Camden Cemetery to a more respectable condition appropriate for these sacred grounds. Our first step has been to restore all the toppled headstones to their proper positions.”
In November of 2024, dozens of the headstones were remounted. And over the last year or so, volunteers have helped clean up leaves, branches and debris from the cemetery, as well.
The initiative goes beyond restoring individual graves. JCF is working to create a sustainable maintenance plan for the future, potentially involving additional funding and partnerships within the broader Jewish community. The project also underscores a sense of communal responsibility, demonstrating how Jewish values can inspire action even as local demographics evolve. Camden may no longer be home to a thriving Jewish community, but the preservation of its history remains a worthwhile endeavor.
Donations to support the upkeep of the Jewish sections of the New Camden Cemetery can be made to the New Camden Cemetery Endowment Fund by visiting jcfsnj.org/ncc
If you are interested in volunteer opportunities, including a possible community wide volunteer day to beautify the cemetery and help with online research of gravestones via a searchable database, please contact Mike Staff at mstaff@jfedsnj.org
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