Disclaimer
This entry contains information known to us from a variety of sources but may not include all the information currently available. Please be in touch if you notice any inadvertent mistakes in our presentation or have additional knowledge or sources to share. Thank you.
Archive
Beirut Jewish Cemetery, Beirut, Lebanon
Also known as the Beth Elamen Jewish Cemetery, the Jewish Cemetery of Beirut was established in 18291.
Description
History of the Jewish Cemetery of Beirut: One of three Jewish cemeteries in Lebanon, the Beth Elamen Jewish cemetery is the only one located in the city of Beirut2. The cemetery was established in 1829 when Rabbi Moïse Yedid Levy was buried there. Located near Sodeco Square, the cemetery was terribly damaged in the 20th century during the Lebanese civil war3, but still continued to serve the Jews of Lebanon.
Today: In 2019 a storm known as “loulou” brought heavy rains and vicious winds to the cemetery, which at this time had been closed off to the public for several years4. These torrent weather conditions resulted in the collapse of the cemetery’s stone wall which destroyed several tombstones.
Beirut, Lebanon
© Mapbox, © OpenStreetMap
Sources
Notes
1 ANU Museum
2 ABC News
3 Ephrem
4 ABC News
Works Cited
1. Ephrem Kossaify, Nagi Zeidan. “Minority Report: The Jews of Lebanon.” Arab News, October 13, 2020. https://www.arabnews.com/JewsOfLebanon#group-Chapter-1-yF6akzgGQI.
2. “Storm Topples Wall, Graves in Old Jewish Cemetery in Beirut.” ABC News. ABC News Network. Accessed August 14, 2022. https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/storm-topples-wall-graves-jewish-cemetery-beirut-67929086.
3. “The Jewish Community of Beirut.” ANU Museum of the Jewish People. Accessed August 9, 2022. https://dbs.anumuseum.org.il/skn/en/c6/e162808/Place/Beirut.