Mount Lebanon Cemetery

Whispers of sorrow and resilience echo through Mount Lebanon Cemetery. This place holds countless stories. It’s a poignant reminder of life’s fragility and the enduring power of memory. Mount Lebanon Cemetery, nestled in Glendale, Queens, has served the Jewish community for over a century. Established in 1914, it’s still managed by one of its founding families. The first burial took place on May 11, 1915. Today, over 92,000 souls rest here. Initially, benevolent societies, fraternal organizations, and synagogues acquired land at Mount Lebanon Cemetery. They aimed to provide burial benefits for their members. Later, individual families and family circles purchased plots directly. Now, over 240 societies and thousands of families have found their final resting place within these grounds. Mount Lebanon Cemetery also houses the Sanctuary. This was New York City’s first indoor Jewish mausoleum, built in 1992. This innovative structure offers a beautiful and dignified space for remembrance. It provides an indoor chapel area, free of charge, for funeral services, unveilings, or quiet reflection. The Sanctuary offers indoor single and tandem crypts. It also includes an indoor niche wall and outdoor crypts and niches. One particularly moving story etched into the heart of Mount Lebanon Cemetery is that of the Sanders family. In 1932, a devastating tenement fire in Manhattan’s Lower East Side claimed the lives of Celia Sanders and her five children. Their ages ranged from four to fifteen. A striking monument marks their shared grave. Six descending blocks represent Celia and her children, a stark reminder of their tragic loss. The father, Abraham Sanders, and his surviving daughter were joined by 3,000 mourners at their funeral. Their story, like so many others within Mount Lebanon Cemetery, speaks to the profound impact of loss and the importance of remembrance.