Jewish Cemetery of New Bedford

The Jewish Cemetery of New Bedford, Massachusetts is located in the far north of the city, on Old Plainville Road, just north of New Bedford Regional Airport. The cemetery was established in 1898 as the principal burying ground for two congregations, Chesed Shel Emes and Ahavath Achim. It is the second Jewish cemetery in the city; the first, a small section of Peckham West Cemetery, was filled up in the 1890s. The developed portion of the cemetery lands is about 13acre, with another 24.5acre that is undeveloped forest. The cemetery land is now owned by a number of organizations: the Tifereth Israel congregation owns about 19acre, Ahavath Achim owns 5.25acre, and two small parcels are owned by other organizations. Entrances to the cemetery are marked by stone posts with bronze plaques.The cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014. It is noted for its significance with the growth of the Jewish community in New Bedford, and for its encapsulation of changing Jewish funerary customs, and their difference from those of other ethnic and religious groups.