oldest jewish cemetery in new york

Shearith Israel was the only Jewish congregation in New York City from 1654 until 1825. During this entire span of history, all of the Jews of New York belonged to the congregation. Shearith Israel was founded by 23 Jews, mostly of Spanish and Portuguese origin. The earliest Jewish cemetery in the U.S. was recorded in 1656 in New Amsterdam where authorities granted the Shearith Israel Congregation "a little hook of land situated outside of this city for a burial place." Its exact location is now unknown. The Congregation's "second" cemetery, which is today known as the FIRST cemetery because it is the oldest surviving one, was purchased in 1683.

Built in 1683, this is the oldest Jewish cemetery in New York City.





You can see Shearith Israel's current synagogue site here http://www.shearith-israel.org

and learn more about the cemetery here http://www.sephardicstudies.org/csi11.html

This is Shearith Israel's second cemetery, the actual first cemetery of Shearith Israel has been lost so next time you're walking around Manhattan, look closely...