The Jewish cemetery in Victoria, British Columbia

Introduction

The Jewish cemetery in Victoria, British Columbia, is located on the corner of Cedar Hill Road and Fernwood. This historical cemetery remains active within the Jewish community. It was consecrated in 1860, and the first burial was conducted on March 20, 1861. The individual buried was murder victim Morris Price. In 2012, the cemetery was victimized by vandalism, which resulted in the destruction of multiple gravestones. Since, individuals should request approval before visiting the gated cemetery. The Jewish doctrine believes that sacred items should never be disposed. Therefore, the cemetery has an open grave where items that are no longer in use are placed. There is a large monument in the cemetery which commemorates individuals who did not survive the Holocaust. The cemetery coordinator shared that this creates an opportunity for individuals to grieve the lost ones they never got to see again.

Research Questions

The research questions focused on the relationships between collective grievance and burial practices, which was observed in monuments and their inscriptions. This explored how communities, specifically the Jewish community, grieved survivors of the Holocaust. Further analysis, examined how bereavement was associated by the community through their gravesite. This inquired how Jewish identity was represented in monuments, which was predicted to be through graphics such as an engraved Star of David and/or Hebrew script. Lastly, how individuals without physical burials are mourned among the community. For example, people who died during the Holocaust, whose bodies were not returned to their families. These questions helped to understand the methods that the Jewish community uses to remember their lost ...

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...cript. Individuals who do not have a physical burial have their names inscribed into a large monument. This provides a place where the Jewish community can mourn those who were lost in the Holocaust.

Compared to the Mainland Jewish community, the Victoria Jewish community appears quite small. Therefore, analyzing a larger cemetery may illustrate different mourning practices. The observation of a larger Jewish cohort should be examined in future studies. This includes studying a wider database of inscriptions and monument types. These studies may display how collectivism function in larger communities compared to smaller ones. It is also important to observe Holocaust memorials in European countries. The practice within a different cultural realm, especially one closer to the historical event, could show different burial and mourning practices.