JewishGen: Jewish cemetery database

JOWBR is the Jewish Online Worldwide Burial Registry at JewishGen.

A 2009 update now brings the database to more than 1.125 million records from more than 2,100 cemeteries and cemetery sections in 45 countries. According to coordinator Nolan Altman, the latest update included more than 55,000 new records and nearly 25,000 new photos from 17 countries.

JOWBR features burial records, photographs, description files, maps and overview photos.

The new additions include:

Maryland: 31,000 records from Baltimore-area cemeteries, courtesy of the Jewish Museum of Maryland.

Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska: Terry Lasky submitted records and photographs personally created or coordinated with other volunteers. There are about 2,800 new recods and more than 15,000 photos.

Indiana: Gloria Green and her team submitted about 2,700 records and 2,700 photos for the Kelly Street cemetery complex in Indianapolis.

Bayside, NY: Maurice Kessler and his team submitted an additional 1,400 records from the Bayside/Ozone Queens cemetery complex - the original records were documented by Florence Marmor and David Gevertzman.

Pennsylvania: Susan Melnick of the Rauh Jewish Archives, John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center, provided continuing submissions from various state cemeteries.

Chernivtsi, Ukraine: Hymie Reichstein and Bruce Reisch of the JGS of Ottawa, Canada, provided a second installment of some 3,800 records and photos.

Vilnius, Lithuania: Howard Margol submitted some 6,300 post-World War II burials in the Saltonishkiu Cemetery.

Iasi, Romania: Reuven Singer and his team translated an additional 1,000 burial records from the 1887 Hebrew burial registers.

JOWBR's next update is anticipated prior to the 29th IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy (Philly 2009), August 2-7, in Philadelphia.

Around the world, many Jewish genealogical societies and individuals work on small and large projects to help researchers around the world locate the resting places of their ancestors. JOWBR provides templates for recording information and other assistance.

Is there a Jewish cemetery near you that has not yet been indexed or photographed? Consider organizing a project.