Hebrew Free Burial Association
Encyclopedia
The Hebrew Free Burial Association (HFBA) was established in 1888 as a free burial society serving the residents of Manhattan
's Lower East Side
and was incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1889. As the need grew in adjacent Jewish communities, HFBA also grew to serve the broader metropolitan area of New York City
. HFBA is currently the largest free burial society outside of Israel
.
The primary function of HFBA is to provide free burials to all indigent Jews in New York City, regardless of denominational affiliation. Burials are conducted in accordance with Jewish law. If not for HFBA, an indigent person in New York City could be buried in a mass grave in Potter's Field
after lying in a morgue
for up to a month, or may be transferred to medical
, dental
, chiropracter, occupational therapy or physical therapy schools for dissection
education and/or research. HFBA, through its many contacts with City and social service agencies, is notified about Jewish decedents and makes arrangements so that every Jew receives a funeral and burial that is prompt, dignified and in keeping with Jewish traditions.
HFBA's clients have primarily come from among the impoverished, from the margins of society or from immigrant
communities. Early in its history, they were victims of disease epidemic
s, occupationally hazardous conditions, poor medical care, lack of proper sanitary conditions and high infant and mother mortality rate
s. In its annual report from 1900, HFBA's directors wrote, "What little they may have had quickly vanished for doctor's services and medicines, and even their belongings were pawned by them to obtain the wherewithal to save their loved one from the grim monster-death."
In the early years of the organization's existence, the majority of burials were of small children. In 1911, HFBA provided burials for 22 young victims of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire
. Bodies were shipped from Manila
during the Spanish-American War
and at least one soldier's body arrived from New Guinea
in the South Pacific during World War II
. Large immigrant groups, such as Holocaust survivors and refugees from the former Soviet Union
have also been prominently represented in HFBA's cemeteries, including Victor Ourin and Aaron Kuperstock, well-known Russia
n poet
s. Those who have needed HFBA's help over time have ranged from the parents of Eddie Cantor
and Clara Bow
, celebrities in their times, Mel Brooks
' grandparents, and inmates from Rikers Island
and Sing Sing
prisons.
community and were elderly or ill when they arrived in the United States
. Experience has shown that although their Jewish identity may have been hidden or denied in the former Soviet Union, they, or their families, expressed the desire for a proper Jewish burial. HFBA's newsletter, Chesed, has an entire section written in Russian
to make sure that this community feels embraced in life as well as in death.
On December 4, 2006, HFBA launched a Russian edition of their website, to further reach out to members of that community.
HFBA now employs a Russian Outreach Coordinator to improve its relationships with the Russian-Jewish Community. In an effort to improve such relationships, HFBA hosted a Russian-Jewish Community Event on February 22, 2009 featuring poetry readings and a silent art auction.
, New York
: Silver Lake Cemetery and Mount Richmond Cemetery.
Established in 1892, Silver Lake Cemetery was the first cemetery used by the HFBA to bury New York’s indigent Jews. For the next seventeen years, close to 15,000 Jews from New York’s Lower East Side were buried on this gently inclined hillside. Some days saw the interment of over a dozen individuals, mostly children.
Mount Richmond Cemetery was established in 1909, in response to the need for more graves for New York’s indigent Jewish community. Currently, the Hebrew Free Burial Association buries approximately 300 Jews a year, and nearly 60,000 Jews have been buried since Mt. Richmond’s inception.
Among the groups that have participated in the Cemetery Clean-Up Project are:
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
's Lower East Side
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
and was incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1889. As the need grew in adjacent Jewish communities, HFBA also grew to serve the broader metropolitan area of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. HFBA is currently the largest free burial society outside of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
.
The primary function of HFBA is to provide free burials to all indigent Jews in New York City, regardless of denominational affiliation. Burials are conducted in accordance with Jewish law. If not for HFBA, an indigent person in New York City could be buried in a mass grave in Potter's Field
Potter's field
A potter's field was an American term for a place for the burial of unknown or indigent people. The expression derives from the Bible, referring to a field used for the extraction of potter's clay, which was useless for agriculture but could be used as a burial site.-Origin:The term comes from...
after lying in a morgue
Morgue
A morgue or mortuary is used for the storage of human corpses awaiting identification, or removal for autopsy or disposal by burial, cremation or otherwise...
for up to a month, or may be transferred to medical
Medical school
A medical school is a tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches medicine. Degree programs offered at medical schools often include Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Bachelor/Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Philosophy, master's degree, or other post-secondary...
, dental
Dental school
A dental school is a tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches dentistry. Upon successful completion, the graduate receives a degree in Dentistry, which, depending upon the jurisdiction, might be a bachelor's degree, master's degree, a professional degree, or a...
, chiropracter, occupational therapy or physical therapy schools for dissection
Dissection
Dissection is usually the process of disassembling and observing something to determine its internal structure and as an aid to discerning the functions and relationships of its components....
education and/or research. HFBA, through its many contacts with City and social service agencies, is notified about Jewish decedents and makes arrangements so that every Jew receives a funeral and burial that is prompt, dignified and in keeping with Jewish traditions.
Who HFBA buries
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
communities. Early in its history, they were victims of disease epidemic
Epidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
s, occupationally hazardous conditions, poor medical care, lack of proper sanitary conditions and high infant and mother mortality rate
Mortality rate
Mortality rate is a measure of the number of deaths in a population, scaled to the size of that population, per unit time...
s. In its annual report from 1900, HFBA's directors wrote, "What little they may have had quickly vanished for doctor's services and medicines, and even their belongings were pawned by them to obtain the wherewithal to save their loved one from the grim monster-death."
In the early years of the organization's existence, the majority of burials were of small children. In 1911, HFBA provided burials for 22 young victims of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire
The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City on March 25, 1911, was the deadliest industrial disaster in the history of the city of New York and resulted in the fourth highest loss of life from an industrial accident in U.S. history...
. Bodies were shipped from Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
during the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
and at least one soldier's body arrived from New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
in the South Pacific during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Large immigrant groups, such as Holocaust survivors and refugees from the former Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
have also been prominently represented in HFBA's cemeteries, including Victor Ourin and Aaron Kuperstock, well-known Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
s. Those who have needed HFBA's help over time have ranged from the parents of Eddie Cantor
Eddie Cantor
Eddie Cantor was an American "illustrated song" performer, comedian, dancer, singer, actor and songwriter...
and Clara Bow
Clara Bow
Clara Gordon Bow was an American actress who rose to stardom in the silent film era of the 1920s. It was her appearance as a spunky shopgirl in the film It that brought her global fame and the nickname "The It Girl." Bow came to personify the roaring twenties and is described as its leading sex...
, celebrities in their times, Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks is an American film director, screenwriter, composer, lyricist, comedian, actor and producer. He is best known as a creator of broad film farces and comic parodies. He began his career as a stand-up comic and as a writer for the early TV variety show Your Show of Shows...
' grandparents, and inmates from Rikers Island
Rikers Island
Rikers Island is New York City's main jail complex, as well as the name of the island on which it sits, in the East River between Queens and the mainland Bronx, adjacent to the runways of LaGuardia Airport. The island itself is part of the borough of the Bronx, though it is included as part of...
and Sing Sing
Sing Sing
Sing Sing Correctional Facility is a maximum security prison operated by the New York State Department of Correctional Services in the town of Ossining, New York...
prisons.
The Russian Community
Over the last decade, many of HFBA's clients have been from the Russian JewishHistory of the Jews in Russia and the Soviet Union
The vast territories of the Russian Empire at one time hosted the largest populations of Jews in the diaspora. Within these territories the Jewish community flourished and developed many of modern Judaism's most distinctive theological and cultural traditions, while also facing periods of...
community and were elderly or ill when they arrived in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Experience has shown that although their Jewish identity may have been hidden or denied in the former Soviet Union, they, or their families, expressed the desire for a proper Jewish burial. HFBA's newsletter, Chesed, has an entire section written in Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
to make sure that this community feels embraced in life as well as in death.
On December 4, 2006, HFBA launched a Russian edition of their website, to further reach out to members of that community.
HFBA now employs a Russian Outreach Coordinator to improve its relationships with the Russian-Jewish Community. In an effort to improve such relationships, HFBA hosted a Russian-Jewish Community Event on February 22, 2009 featuring poetry readings and a silent art auction.
Cemeteries
HFBA owns and operates two historic cemeteries on Staten IslandStaten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
: Silver Lake Cemetery and Mount Richmond Cemetery.
Established in 1892, Silver Lake Cemetery was the first cemetery used by the HFBA to bury New York’s indigent Jews. For the next seventeen years, close to 15,000 Jews from New York’s Lower East Side were buried on this gently inclined hillside. Some days saw the interment of over a dozen individuals, mostly children.
Mount Richmond Cemetery was established in 1909, in response to the need for more graves for New York’s indigent Jewish community. Currently, the Hebrew Free Burial Association buries approximately 300 Jews a year, and nearly 60,000 Jews have been buried since Mt. Richmond’s inception.
Volunteer Program
HFBA manages a Cemetery Clean-Up Project, where groups come to Silver Lake Cemetery, and participate in its upkeep. The volunteers rake leaves and clear debris, demonstrating that the cemetery has not been forgotten, and that the Jewish Community realizes its obligation to its earlier generations.Among the groups that have participated in the Cemetery Clean-Up Project are:
- HAFTR (Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaways)
- Brooklyn Heights Group of Synagogue Youth (BHGSY)
- Solomon Schechter School of Westchester High School
- Yavneh AcademyYavneh AcademyThe Yavneh Academy is a Modern Orthodox Jewish day school located in Paramus, New Jersey, United States. It educates over 700 students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. Yavneh's graduating class of 2011 consisted of 80 children...
- North Shore Hebrew Academy Middle School
- Yeshivat Har-Torah
- Hebrew Academy of Nassau County
- Marsha Stern Talmudical AcademyMarsha Stern Talmudical AcademyThe Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy, also known as Yeshiva University High School for Boys , MTA or TMSTA , is an Orthodox Jewish day school , the boys' high school of Yeshiva University in the Washington Heights neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan.-History:The Talmudical...
(Yeshiva University High School for Boys) - Samuel H. Wang Yeshiva University High School for GirlsSamuel H. Wang Yeshiva University High School for GirlsSamuel H. Wang Yeshiva University High School for Girls offers college preparatory curricula and Jewish studies programs leading to an academic diploma endorsed by the New York State Board of Regents and the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools...
- SAR AcademySAR AcademySalanter Akiba Riverdale Academy is a coeducational, private Modern Orthodox Jewish day school. The school is located in the Riverdale section of the New York City borough of the Bronx. It is well known for having no walls dividing the classrooms, which is part of the school's philosophy of...
- Yeshiva of North Jersey
- Solomon Schechter School of Queens
- Ma'ayanot Yeshiva High SchoolMa'ayanot Yeshiva High SchoolThe Ma'ayanot Yeshiva High School is a private Jewish day school for girls in grades nine through twelve, located in Teaneck, New Jersey, United States. Ma'ayanot was founded to meet the need of the Orthodox communities of Bergen County and neighboring areas for a conveniently located and...
- Stella K. Abraham High School for GirlsStella K. Abraham High School for GirlsStella K. Abraham High School for Girls is a Modern Orthodox Jewish day school, a high school for grades 9-12, located in Hewlett Bay Park, Nassau County, New York, USA. As of 2011 it had some 340 students and approximately 50 teachers. There are a total of 905 alumnae. The principal is Mrs...
- DRS High School
- Brooklyn College Hillel
- North Shore Hebrew Academy High School