Bayside Acacia Cemetery, Queens
Encyclopedia
The Bayside Cemetery is a cemetery
in Queens
, New York
. It is one of the oldest Jewish cemeteries
in New York City
. It was founded in the mid-nineteenth century, and among those buried there are many military veterans from the Civil War
onward. It is bordered on the east by Acacia Cemetery and on the west by Mokom Sholom Cemetery.
Both Acacia Cemetery and Mokom Sholom Cemetery are well maintained by their respective administrations and professional ground crews. However, in the last several decades Bayside Cemetery has fallen into extensive disrepair. It is owned by Congregation Shaare Zedek
, which is located several miles away on the Upper West Side
of Manhattan
. The Congregation Shaare Zedek claims that the cost of maintaining Bayside Cemetery is more than the congregation can bear; it used funds collected for the improvement of this desecrated cemetery to repair the roof on its synagogue.
- The Community Association for Jewish At-Risk Cemeteries - has begun a major project to restore and maintain Bayside Cemetery. CAJAC, a non-profit organization established to rescue and maintain Jewish cemeteries, has hired MC Landscaping to perform the major cleanup, while groups of volunteers led by Dr. Ronny Herskovits complement the professional efforts. The initial cleanup is set to be completed by November 2009.
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
in Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. It is one of the oldest Jewish cemeteries
Jewish cemetery
A Jewish cemetery is a cemetery where members of the Jewish faith are buried in keeping with Jewish tradition....
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. It was founded in the mid-nineteenth century, and among those buried there are many military veterans from the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
onward. It is bordered on the east by Acacia Cemetery and on the west by Mokom Sholom Cemetery.
Both Acacia Cemetery and Mokom Sholom Cemetery are well maintained by their respective administrations and professional ground crews. However, in the last several decades Bayside Cemetery has fallen into extensive disrepair. It is owned by Congregation Shaare Zedek
Congregation Shaare Zedek (New York City)
Congregation Shaare Zedek is a Conservative synagogue located on West 93rd Street in Manhattan.-History:Founded in 1837, by Polish Jews, Shaare Zedek is the third oldest Jewish congregation in New York City. The congregation originally met at 38 Henry Street on Manhattan's Lower East Side...
, which is located several miles away on the Upper West Side
Upper West Side
The Upper West Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan, New York City, that lies between Central Park and the Hudson River and between West 59th Street and West 125th Street...
of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. The Congregation Shaare Zedek claims that the cost of maintaining Bayside Cemetery is more than the congregation can bear; it used funds collected for the improvement of this desecrated cemetery to repair the roof on its synagogue.
Restoration and rejuvenation
CAJACCAJAC
CAJAC, The Community Association for Jewish At-Risk Cemeteries, is a non-profit organization established to rescue and maintain Jewish cemeteries. CAJAC's mission is to be a central repository for fundraising, endowment management and the general care of abandoned and at-risk Jewish cemeteries.-...
- The Community Association for Jewish At-Risk Cemeteries - has begun a major project to restore and maintain Bayside Cemetery. CAJAC, a non-profit organization established to rescue and maintain Jewish cemeteries, has hired MC Landscaping to perform the major cleanup, while groups of volunteers led by Dr. Ronny Herskovits complement the professional efforts. The initial cleanup is set to be completed by November 2009.