Opened in 1955 Cemitério Comunal Israelita do Caju is more than just a burial ground. It is a testament to Rio de Janeiro’s Jewish community. The municipality ceded land for its creation. Santa Casa de Misericórdia also contributed.
The Cemitério Comunal Israelita do Caju provided a closer burial option. Before its opening, Jewish cemeteries were farther away. They were even outside the city limits.
Cemitério Comunal Israelita do Caju is also known as Cemitério Israelita do Caju. It is a private Jewish necropolis. The cemetery is located in Rio de Janeiro’s Northern Zone.
The Sociedade Cemitério Comunal Israelita do Rio de Janeiro manages it. This society also oversees two other Jewish cemeteries. These are the Cemitério Israelita de Inhauma and the Cemitério Comunal Israelita de Nilópolis. The first one is better known as “Cemitério das Polacas”.
Cemitério Comunal Israelita do Caju forms a complex with three Christian cemeteries. These are Cemitério da Ordem Terceira do Carmo, Cemitério da Venerável Ordem Terceira de São Francisco da Penitência and Cemitério de São Francisco Xavier. They form the Complex of Cemeteries of the District of Caju.
Initially, the area was a burial site for indigents. They came from the nearby Cemitério de São Francisco Xavier. Today, the Cemitério Comunal Israelita do Caju holds approximately 6.5 thousand tombs. It is nearing full capacity.
In 1975 a Holocaust memorial was erected. It stands near the cemetery’s entrance. It honors the victims of this terrible period.
In 2020, the cemetery expanded for the first time. This was during the COVID-19 pandemic. The expansion occurred on land formerly belonging to Santa Casa.
Several famous people rest here at Cemitério Comunal Israelita do Caju. Writer Clarice Lispector is buried here. Actress Dina Sfat rests here as well. Also, Bella Jozef the writer and literary critic. Gilberto Marmorosch the actor too. Alberto Abravanel and Rebeca Abravanel, parents of the TV host Silvio Santos, are also buried here.
The Cemitério Comunal Israelita do Caju operates from Sunday to Friday. Its hours are 9 am to 6 pm.
Visiting the Cemitério Comunal Israelita do Caju provides insight. It tells the story of Rio’s Jewish community. It shows their traditions, memories and history. It stands as a place of respect, remembrance and reflection.