{{Short description|Jewish cemetery in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Use American English|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox cemetery |name = Har Nebo Cemetery |image = Har Nebo Cemetery.jpg |caption = |established = 1890<ref name=JCSP>{{cite book |title=The Jewish Community of South Philadelphia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iQui23uF4HUC&pg=PA35 |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |date=1998 |isbn=0-7524-1202-7 |first=Allen |last=Meyers |page=35}}</ref> |country = United States |location = 6061 Oxford Avenue<br>Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |coordinates = {{coord|40.0391152|-75.0867980|type:landmark_globe:earth_region:US-PA|format=dms|display=inline,title}}<!-- GNIS data --> |type = private |owner = <!-- entity that owns the cemetery--> |size = {{convert|16|acre|m2}}<ref name=JCSP /> |graves= >35,000<ref name="fox29.com">{{Cite web |date=2022-09-18 |title=Over 100 volunteers gather in Oxford Circle to restore historic cemetery |url=https://www.fox29.com/news/over-100-volunteers-gather-in-oxford-circle-to-restore-historic-cemetery |access-date=2023-04-08 |website=FOX 29 Philadelphia |language=en-US}}</ref> |website = <!-- official website --> |findagraveid= 45031 }} '''Har Nebo Cemetery''' is a Jewish cemetery in the Oxford Circle neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Established in 1890, it is the oldest privately owned Jewish cemetery in Philadelphia. It is named for Mount Nebo, a Moabite mountain mentioned as the place where Moses died in the Hebrew Bible on the other side the Jordan River.
== History == The organization was established in 1890 by Isaac Levy as the Har Nebo Cemetery Company.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Meyers |first=Allen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iQui23uF4HUC |title=The Jewish Community of South Philadelphia |date=1998 |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |isbn=978-0-7524-1202-3 |pages=35 |language=en}}</ref> That October, the company was granted permission for the construction of the physical cemetery,<ref>{{Cite news |date=1890-10-10 |title=Protest to Council |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/168279137/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=2025-05-04 |work=Philadelphia Inquirer |pages=6}}</ref> located in the 23rd Ward of Philadelphia (rural Frankford).<ref>{{Cite news |date=1890-11-01 |title=Legal Notices |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/168302657 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2025-05-04 |work=Philadelphia Inquirer |pages=6}}</ref> It was built on land belonging to deceased David Williams.<ref>{{Cite book |last= |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xmA0AQAAMAAJ |title=Ordinances and Joint Resolutions of the Select and Common Councils of the Consolidated City of Philadelphia |date=1890 |publisher=GMC |pages=352 |language=en}}</ref> Burials date back as far as 1892.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1892-05-04 |title=Died |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/168277589 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2025-05-04 |work=Philadelphia Inquirer |pages=6}}</ref> In 1906, the boundaries of the cemetery were extended further into undeveloped sections of the 35th Ward.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1906-10-17 |title=City Ordinances |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/168232803 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2025-05-04 |work=Philadelphia Inquirer |pages=14}}</ref> This was due to an outbreak of Smallpox in the area.<ref name=":0" /> In 1924, the widening of Devereaux Avenue caused territory losses for the cemetery.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1924-07-16 |title=City Ordinances |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/171035411 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2025-05-04 |work=Philadelphia Inquirer |pages=27}}</ref>
In 1955, 32 stones were damaged when suspected juvenile delinquents went on a spree of valdalism across the cemetery.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1955-05-17 |title=Vandals Damage 32 Tombstones |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/174830717 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2025-05-04 |work=Philadelphia Inquirer |pages=21}}</ref> In 1987, a 17-year-old girl was raped at knifepoint on the property.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1987-06-21 |title=Suspect sought in May 31 rape |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/167965321 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2025-05-04 |work=Philadelphia Inquirer |pages=477}}</ref>
== Modern issues == thumb|346x346px|A photograph depicting the sunken and overturned gravestones in Har Nebo, June 2022 Har Nebo Cemetery is recognized as a cemetery that is, for the most part, in severe disrepair. Many gravestones are knocked over, much of the ground is unkempt, and the cemetery is often inaccessible.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lowenkron |first=Hadriana |date=25 Jul 2020 |title=Locked gates and 4-foot-tall grass: Conditions at 2 Philly cemeteries leave families in anguish |url=https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia/har-nebo-mount-carmel-cemeteries-conditions-coronavirus-20200725.html |access-date=2023-04-08 |website=Philadelphia Inquirer |language=en}}</ref> A restoration has been undertaken since 2021 by Friends of Jewish Cemeteries to take ownership of and restore the cemetery to its previous condition.<ref name="fox29.com">{{Cite web |date=2022-09-18 |title=Over 100 volunteers gather in Oxford Circle to restore historic cemetery |url=https://www.fox29.com/news/over-100-volunteers-gather-in-oxford-circle-to-restore-historic-cemetery |access-date=2023-04-08 |website=FOX 29 Philadelphia |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Rogelberg |first=Sasha |date=2022-11-30 |title=Friends of Jewish Cemeteries Completes Second Phase of Restoration Project |url=https://www.jewishexponent.com/2022/11/30/friends-of-jewish-cemeteries-completes-second-phase-of-restoration-project/ |access-date=2023-04-08 |website=Jewish Exponent |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Inquirer |first=Kevin Riordan The Philadelphia |title=Conserving Jewish cemeteries, one stone at a time |url=https://www.fredericknewspost.com/news/lifestyle/religion/conserving-jewish-cemeteries-one-stone-at-a-time/article_e82fa8c4-8f67-5fda-93c9-d34a19b78735.html |access-date=2023-04-08 |website=The Frederick News-Post |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2021-11-04 |title=What our photographers saw on Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021. |url=https://www.inquirer.com/photo/what-our-photographers-saw-wednesday-nov-3-2021-20210812.html |access-date=2025-05-04 |website=Inquirer.com |language=en}}</ref>
The cemetery also administers Mount Carmel Cemetery.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lucas |first=Phillip |date=2011-08-04 |title=SWEEP to help clean this mess |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/198252180 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2025-05-04 |work=Philadelphia Daily News |pages=20}}</ref>
==Notable interments== * David Cohen, Philadelphia City Councilman<ref name=exponent/> * Harry Gold (1910–1972), atomic spy<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1974/02/14/archives/1972-death-of-harry-gold-revealed.html |work=The New York Times|title=1972 death of Harry Gold revealed|date=14 February 1974}}</ref><ref name=exponent>{{cite web|url=https://www.jewishexponent.com/2020/07/30/improvements-being-made-at-har-nebo-mount-carmel-cemeteries/ |website=Jewish Exponent|title=Improvements being made at Har Nebo, Mount Carmel cemeteries|last=Gotlieb|first=Andy|date=30 July 2020}}</ref> * Eddie Gottlieb (1898–1979), American professional basketball coach and team owner<ref name=exponent/> * Samuel Gross (1891–1934), Medal of Honor recipient<ref name=exponent/> * Stan Hochman (1928–2015), sportswriter<ref name=exponent/> * Adolph Hirschberg (1889–1943, American labor leader<ref>{{Cite news |date=1938-11-10 |title=Hirschberg Monument to Be Erected Sunday |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/171411242 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2025-05-04 |work=Philadelphia Inquirer |pages=30}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [https://jgsgp.org/cemetery-data Jewish Genealogical and Archival Society], Cemetery Data * {{Find a Grave cemetery|45031}} * {{GNIS|1176491|Har NEBO Cemetery}}
Category:Cemeteries established in the 1890s Category:Cemeteries in Philadelphia Category:Jewish cemeteries in Pennsylvania Category:Jews and Judaism in Philadelphia Category:1890 establishments in Pennsylvania Category:Northeast Philadelphia