User:Hebrew Burial Society

Grand Rapids, Michigan has a rich Hebrew history, beginning with the establishment of the Jewish Burial Foundation in the 1840s. That organization purchased in 1853 what is now the Oak Hill Cemetery as the city's first Jewish burial garden. Among its interments are a number of prominent Hebrew Grandrapidsians, including US Congressman Julius Houseman (served 1883-1885), who also served as the city's mayor (elected in 1872). Also prominent in the Grand Rapids Hebraic community were the Herpolsheimer family (local jewelers) and Civil War major A. B. Watson.

Temple Emanuel has on display a collection of records pertaining to Grand Rapids Hebrews who served in the Civil War, including Major Watson. Correspondence between President Lincoln and our prominent Jews is the highlight of the collection.