Contemplate this sacred ground. This is the Cemitário Israelita do Rio de Janeiro. It is also known as the Cemitário Israelita do Caju. This private Jewish necropolis resides in Rio de Janeiro’s Northern Zone.
The Sociedade Cemitário Comunal Israelita do Rio de Janeiro manages it. The society also oversees two other Jewish cemeteries. These are the Cemitário Israelita de Inhaúma and the Cemitário Comunal Israelita de Nilópolis. The Cemitário Israelita de Inhaúma is also known as the Cemitário das Polacas.
This cemetery forms part of the Complex of Cemeteries of the District of Caju. It stands alongside three Christian holy fields. These are the Cemitério da Ordem Terceira do Carmo. Also, the Cemitério da Venerável Ordem Terceira de São Francisco da Penitência. And finally the Cemitério de São Francisco Xavier.
The Cemitário Comunal Israelita do Rio de Janeiro has a history. It was inaugurated in 1955. The municipality ceded the land. Santa Casa de Misericórdia also contributed. The site was once a burial area for indigents. They came from the nearby Cemitério de São Francisco Xavier.
The Cemitário Comunal Israelita do Rio de Janeiro offered a closer burial alternative. It served members of Rio’s Jewish community. They previously had cemeteries further away. These were beyond the municipality’s limits.
Today the Cemitário Israelita do Rio de Janeiro contains about 6.5 thousand tombs. It is nearing full capacity. A Holocaust memorial monument stands near the entrance. It was inaugurated in 1975. This serves as a poignant reminder. It honors the victims of unspeakable atrocities.
The Cemitário Israelita do Rio de Janeiro provides a final resting place. It is a place of respect and remembrance. Bella Jozef rests here. She was a writer and literary critic. Clarice Lispector is buried here too. She was a renowned writer. Dina Sfat an actress also found her final resting place here. Gilberto Marmorosch an actor is also buried here. Alberto Abravanel and Rebeca Abravanel are interred here too. They are the parents of Silvio Santos a presenter.
In 2020 the first expansion of the cemetery was inaugurated. This was in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The land previously belonged to Santa Casa. It is located at number 491 on the same Rua Mons. Manoel Gomes.
The Cemitário Israelita do Rio de Janeiro symbolizes community. It shows remembrance and Jewish heritage in Rio de Janeiro. Take a moment to reflect. Remember those who rest here. Consider their stories and contributions. This sacred space connects us. It links us to the past and to each other.