Cemetery
Our synagogue’s history and evolution can be traced through visits to the cemetery, where you can study the earliest grave markers from the 1850s, walk past mausoleums built in the early 1900s, and note the markers and monuments of the 21st century. A brief summary of how we came to have this cemetery space provides some historical perspective.
On September 10, 1849, approximately one acre of land on the New London Turnpike, now Reservoir Avenue, was conveyed to Solomon Pareira, Leonard Gavitts and Morris Steinberg, to whom the land was assessed at $100. Five years later – in 1854 – the Congregation Sons of Israel and David was founded. In 1857, Mr. Pareira, the congregation’s first president, deeded the cemetery land “as and for a cemetery for the burial of the members of said Congregation Sons of Israel and David and no other purpose.” In 1870, a fence along Reservoir Avenue was constructed and that fence still stands today. Since 1870, the cemetery has grown from one acre to more than five, and in the mid-1980s, given growing concerns about space constraints, the area was reconfigured to create 700 new grave sites.
Please contact Judy Moseley, Executive Director with questions or concerns (401) 331-6070 ext. 105.
Directions to the Cemetery
The Cemetery is located at 401 Reservoir Ave. in Providence, Rhode Island.
