HEBREW CEMETERY RENO
  YESTERDAY. TODAY. TOMORROW.  FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN.

HEBREW CEMETERY RENO

...established in 1879, our journey from past to present, and into the future.

The Hebrew Cemetery of Reno was established in 1879 when the Reno Hebrew Benevolent Society purchased land near the Hillside Cemetery on Angel Street located West of the University of Nevada. While the Benevolent Society folded in 1907 (the result of a floundering mining industry and economic downturn), burials continued at the Hebrew Cemetery under the supervision of a few select families.


Ten years later, in 1917, Reno’s first official Jewish congregation was formed, bringing with it the formation of a Chevera Kaddisha committee which oversaw burial for almost half a century.



A little about the Hebrew Cemetery

By the 1970’s Reno boasted two Jewish congregations, Temple Emanu-el (conservative) and Temple Sinai (reform). The two congregations oversaw cemetery operations until 2003, when a new, non-profit religious corpora tion was formed. Six years later both Temple Sinai and Temple Emanu-el transferred their cemetery holdings to the Hebrew Cemetery Inc., which was able to clear up the many issues of title, some of them harkening back to the days of gold and silver bonanzas.


The Hebrew Cemetery Inc. now owns and manages all of the cemetery operations. Its volunteer Board sets fees and provides for maintenance, as well as protecting the customs of the community with the support of the founding congregations. The Cemetery continues to honor our history of serving all Jewish families in the area, not just members of the local temples and synagogues. The Jewish community also maintains a Chevera Kaddisha which provides for ritual washing and dressing of the deceased.