Congregation: 1380 Alabama Avenue SE, Washington, DC (202) 562-1807. Take Beltway Exit 22B (B-W Pkwy )to I-295 South to Suitland Pkwy. Take Suitland Pkwy 1.5 mi. to Stanton Rd. Turn right onto Stanton Rd. and follow up hill approx. 1.0 mi. to Alabama Ave. Turn right onto Alabama Ave. Go to 1st gate.
The oldest Jewish congregation in the nation's capital is Washington Hebrew Congregation (WHC), founded in 1852 by a group of German Jews. Though originally Orthodox, the congregation adopted more and more reforms and when in 1869, they voted to order an organ, 35 members split from WHC to form the new Orthodox congregation, Adas Israel. Macpelah was the first cemetery of WHC. It is no longer located at its original site on Hamilton Road. The name comes from the name that Abraham gave to his family's burial site.
CEMETERY:
Congress Place Cemetery: Ohev Shalom Congregation. 3237 Congress Place, SE, Washington, DC 20020. For all questions regarding the cemetery, plot locations, funeral arrangements and unveilings, please contact Carol Valoris at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call the synagogue office at (202) 882-7225. When planning to visit the cemetery, please call John Shackelford, Cemetery Supervisor, at (202) 372-7100. Hours of Operation: Sunday through Friday, 9:30 am to 4 pm (Closed on Shabbat & Jewish holidays)
National Capitol Hebrew Cemetery [aka Capital Heights]:
4708 Fable Street,Capitol Heights, MD 20743. National Capitol Hebrew Cemetery Association, Howard Katz (President) 301-933-3033. National Capitol Hebrew Cemetery is located in SE Washington and partly in Capitol Heights, Maryland. Cemetery includes Beth Sholom, Ezras Israel, Ohev Shalom, Yom Tov Society (former Sefardic community, Workmen's Circle, Young Israel-Shomrei Emunah, National Capitol Lodge and George Washington Lodge (merged with Friendship Lodge).
Directions: Take Beltway Exit 15B (Central Ave. West) and follow Central Avenue approx. 2.8 mi. Turn left onto Yost St. and right onto Central Ave. Go approx. 0.7 mi. to Larchmont Ave. Turn left, Go approx. 0.7 mi. and turn right on Fable Street.
p08839 in Cemeteries of the US by Deborah M. Burek, ed. Detroit: Gale Research Int., 1994. ISBN 0-8103-9245-3. Source: Al Rosenfield (301) 299-5440 Phil Berman.(301) 933-3033 Howard Katz knows about cemeteries
Beth Sholom Congregation Cemetery: Capitol Heights, MD. 301-279-7010, as of [Aug. 2011].
Chevra Shomre Shabos
Congress Heights Cemetery: With about 1000 burials, the cemetery is located adjacent to other Jewish cemeteries. Ohev Sholom [(202) 723-2402-Leonard Goodman Ohev Sholom], DC Lodge, Adas Israel and Washington Hebrew. Adas Israel and Washington Hebrew's gates on one road and Ohev Sholom and DC Lodge gates on another road. Superintendent John Shakelford 202-372-7107 Hours: 9-3 Sun-Th; 9-1 Fri except Jewish and Nat'l Holidays.
Elesvetegrad Cemetery Assn.; aka DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA LODGE Cemetery: off of 15th St, SE, Anacostia. Synagogues that used this site: Beth Sholom Congregation, Talmud Torah, and several others.
Ezras Israel Cong. (Northeast Shul)
Friendship Lodge
George Washington Lodge (Old): p08832 in Cemeteries of the US by Deborah M. Burek, ed. Detroit: Gale Research Int., 1994. ISBN 0-8103-9245-3. Source: Al Rosenfield
Har Zion Congregation
Jewish War Veterans
Kesher Israel Cong. (Georgetown Shul) (Old) (Georgetown Shul) (Old) Mr. Ashkenazi, 363-6391. Take Beltway Exit 15B (Central Ave. West) and follow Central Ave. west for 4 miles into D.C. Turn left on Southern Ave. and follow left into the cemetery. Used by Kesher Israel Congregation.
National Capitol Lodge
Ohev Sholom-Talmud Torah Cong. (Old) : Southeast Washington, D.C.. NOTE from This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., President of Ohev Sholom Talmud Torah Cong. The location of the Ohev Sholom Talmud Torah Congregation Cemetery in SE Washington, D.C. We have two cemetery locations. The one in Capitol Heights is part of the National Capitol Hebrew Cemetery, owned and operated by an association of the organizations. [09/16/2000]
Shomre Emunah
Spanish Yom Tov
Sylvia Kress DC Lodge: (301) 942-4987
Woliner (Woleiner) Anshy Sphard
Workman's Circle (Old)
Young Israel
Yom Tov Society
Washington Hebrew Congregation Cemetery: The oldest grave identified is from July 1851; belonging to Albertne Cohen. In the new location on Alabama Avenue, the cemetery is still active and is surrounded at a distance by the newer Washington Hebrew Memorial Cemetery. The layout of Macpelah is irregular, with no clearly defined plots and uneven rows. Some of the earliest graves were re-ordered by date of death when they were moved in the 1870's. Some graves were moved a second time, when Alabama Avenue was widened. Time and water drainage have caused some of the graves on the hillside to sink below ground level completely obscuring them from view and identification. It is known that the hillside graves were mostly children's burial sites. The old cemetery is located to the right of the cemetery's entrance gates, but since these gates are frequently locked, a visitor may have to enter through the gates to the adjacent Adas Israel cemetery and find their way over to the WHC gate. The cemetery is well maintained. [UPDATE: March, 2008)