International Jewish Cemetery Project
International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies

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"The Jewish community of St. John dates back about 140 years. Many of the early Jewish residents were successful cigar manufacturers. Between the 1920s-1960s, there were as many as 300 Jewish families in St. John. Unfortunately, as is the case with so many other communities, young people tend to leave around the age of twenty. I believe that there are only about 40 Jewish families left in St. John. There is a St. John Jewish Historical Museum, which also houses a Hebrew school, chapel, mikveh and a modest library. The museum is staffed by Jewish teenage girls who give tours of the facility. I also believe that there is a synagogue around the corner from the museum. It may be possible that the museum can provide information about current or former Jewish residents. If not, they could probably suggest the pertinent facility in St. John for this information. St. John Jewish Historical Museum, 29 Wellington Row, St. John, New Brunswick, E2L 3H4 CANADA. e-mail: Source: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. [JewishGen Digest, April 2001]

  • Shaarei Zedek Cemetery: Nathan Green purchased a lot southeast of Fernhill as a family plot in 1860. The Green-Hart cemetery has been used by succeeding generations of the family ever since. Adjacent lots were bought years later, first by Ahavat Achim congregation, then by the Hazen Avenue congregation. When they merged to become Shaarei Tzedek congregation, more land was bought. The Green-Hart plot remains the centre of the enlarged cemetery. (Boyaner, Eli, "The Settlement and Development of the Jewish Community of Saint John, N.B., " in 1957 Anniversary Issue of the Eagle, p. 29, paper read at the New Brunswick Historical Society, and report by JIAS official Samuel Kaplan in the 1932 anniversary edition of Eagle, p. 68, quoted in House of Life by David Rome.) Contact the St. John Jewish Historical Museum for more information. Source: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. [JewishGen Digest, April 2001]