Friends of Har Nebo and Other Jewish Cemeteries

Har Nebo Cemetery and other local Jewish cemeteries are in shambles from fallen headstones, weather damage, grounds maintenance issues and other challenges. Join our vision to honor those at rest through building awareness about the poor conditions of Jewish cemeteries and raising funds for restoration projects.

Who We Are

The Friends of Har Nebo and Jewish Cemeteries (FHNJC) is a special initiative of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia. Our mission is to appreciate the spiritual, historical, cultural, and community significance of cemeteries and look for ways to make repairs one step at a time.

"Our entire family is buried at Har Nebo. I am extremely aware of the poor condition the cemetery is in. We visit our families quite often. It is very sad to see what Har Nebo is like." -Community Member

Cemetery Restoration Pilot Project

Considering the sheer magnitude of distressed cemeteries in need of help, our pilot project will start off small and focus on restoring up to 20 headstones at Har Nebo Cemetery. We will also develop best practices through the creation and distribution of a how-to kit that Jewish cemeteries can implement.

We encourage Har Nebo descendants, community members, groups, organizations and synagogues to join in this effort. Even younger children can make an impact by painting decorative rocks.

Learn more about our pilot project in this Jewish Exponent article.

"I visited with my son and was astonished by the number of fallen stones and disrepair. It just doesn’t sit right for us living descendants, and it won’t be any better 20 or 30 years from now." -Rich Blumberg, founder of Friends of Har Nebo and Jewish Cemeteries

Long Term Goals

By way of our pilot project, we hope to inspire other community leaders of cemeteries in despair to start small restoration projects of their own.

There are approximately 20 Jewish cemeteries in the Greater Philadelphia area, many of which need some restoration. The larger picture of this initiative is to ensure that local Jewish cemeteries are brought to a respectful appearance level for generations to come.

This initiative welcomes sharing and learning from the experiences of all faith groups, especially those interested in cemetery rehabilitation.

Har Nebo Information  

Navigate the cemetery with these links:

Please help us carry the light for our departed by making a gift here to support our pilot program!