Bloemfontein Jewish Cemeteries
Bloemfontein has three Jewish cemeteries that collectively span the history of Jewish life and activity in the city.
- Rhodes Park Cemetery: This cemetery, also known as the Old Cemetery, is the oldest of the 3 Bloemfontein cemeteries, dating from 1871. It is simply a small fenced off area of a public cemetery near the city centre that includes about 30 graves of Jews. Several Jewish pioneers involved in the early days of the city are buried here, including individuals who died serving on either side in the Boer War, 1899-1902. Some of the gravestones are in poor condition and some graves are now unmarked.
- Memorial Cemetery: This cemetery dates from 1903 and served the community during its most active decades. It includes some 1100 burials, mostly Litvaks or their first generation descendents. The graves are well maintained despite some vandalism.
- South Park Cemetery: This cemetery was consecrated in 1978 and has served the community during the years of declining numbers of members. It now includes well over 100 graves.
Cemetery records
Full listings of the tombstones in all three cemeteries were assembled as part of the SA Jewish Rootsbank project in the early 2000s. These records may be searched on-line.
