Hoop Lane Cemetery, London, England

The Hoop Lane Cemetery, also known as the Golders Green Cemetery is located in the Borough of Barnet, in London. Hoop Lane, which had its first burial  in 1895, is a fascinating place to visit. The first thing that I noticed when I visited a few months ago, is that the cemetery has two distinct parts.

The eastern side of Hoop Lane is a very traditional Sephardic cemetery (above picture), where the gravestones are laid horizontal. The east side is used by the Spanish and Portuguese Jews' Congregation. The western part of the cemetery is maintained by the West London Synagogue, and it is a more traditional Askenazic cemetery, the stones being upright (below).

Regardless of which side you visit, its hard not to be in awe of the stories the stones tell. Our ancestors went through so much as they laid down the foundations for our own lives. For example, as with many cemeteries, Hoop Lane has a good number of remembrances for those who paid the ultimate price defending their country.  The stone pictured at the right, marks the death of Lieut. Ronald Lucas Quixano Henriques. who lost his life at the Battle of Aisne on September 14th, 1914. Even though he "Rests On The Field Of Battle", he is remembered here. Just a few stones away a brother is also remembered. We have so many who have died protecting us, may we never forget them.

 History, reminds us how many men and women have died serving their country, however not all who perish during wartime are members of the military. The stone at left marks the Belasco family, torn apart by enemy action on December 14th, 1944. The strength to carry on after 3 family members are lost is remarkable.



 As I walked past one headstone, I couldn't help but stop and soon found myself lost in thought over the events of January 30, 1962 for the families of David and Betty (Jacobs) Goldberg. They had just celebrated a happy event, the marriage David and Betty. Shortly there after, the young couple, while on their honeymoon, died together. I do not know what happened, and reading it I had many emotions, however, I found great comfort in the line that reads "Forever together never to be parted".

I am thankful for all those who have sacrificed so much. May they truly never be forgotten.

The information gathered from the stones has now been added to the Knowles Collection- Jews of the British Isles, and will be available after the next update, which will be very soon.

Southern Cemetery, Manchester, England

Southern Cemetery, which is located in the Greater Manchester area is the largest cemetery in the United Kingdom and the second largest in all of Europe.  The cemetery opened in 1879 and included a Jewish section at the western corner of the cemetery. The property was original 40 hectares of land, however an additional purchase that was opened in 1926 almost doubled that amount.

The information from the headstones from the Jewish section have now been transcribed and are being added to the Knowles Collection - Jews of the British Isles. They will be available after the next update.

Prague Cemetery, Stuttgart, Germany

In the middle of Stuttgart, Germany lies the Prague Cemetery. While the gates are locked and the grounds are not accessible, it is still possible to see the headstones of some of our ancestors. Thanks to the work of those who have passed this spot, some of the information is now available. From these pictures, the records of some of the residents of Stuttgart will continue to be preserved. Hopefully all the records will one day be preserved.

The records from this cemetery can be found in the Jews of Europe database.