Jewish Cemetery Association of Massachusetts

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Jewish Cemetery Association of Massachusetts

Founded in 1984, JCAM is a non-profit Jewish cemetery association and communal organization that owns

The Jewish Cemetery Association of Massachusetts (JCAM) was born out of a need to care for distressed or abandoned Jewish cemeteries, and has grown into a leader in cemetery management, restoration and education. JCAM operates on multiple fronts including:

Cemetery Management & Burial
Educational Programming
Anti-Poverty Initiatives
Historical Preservation

Our efforts to maintain Jewish cemeteries as precious community resources involves major physical infrastructure projects, outreach and engagement activities, and ongoing innovation to meet families' needs. JCAM owes its success to the generosity and commitment of myriad community partners including local synagogues, organizations, municipalities, philanthropies, our cemetery caretakers, and so many others.

09/28/2025

Henry Englander, a Holocaust survivor and Boston-area resident, appeared in Schindler’s List, directed by Steven Spielberg. After living a long and meaningful life, Mr. Englander passed away peacefully and was buried at Lindwood Memorial Park. Yet, for reasons unknown to us, a granite monument bearing his name had also been placed at the Zviller Cemetery on Baker St in West Roxbury.

Because of your generosity, JCAM was there for Mr. Englander and his family. When his niece reached out to us from Israel, we were honored to assist. Our professional team carefully removed the misplaced monument and reunited it with Mr. Englander—ensuring he was honored with dignity in the place where he rests.

Though Mr. Englander’s story is unique, his is just one of the many that live on in our cemeteries—stories of parents, children, survivors, and generations who helped shape our community.

Your gift ensures they are not forgotten. It helps us protect and preserve the resting places of those we have lost.

09/22/2025

JCAM wishes everyone a L’Shanah Tovah as we begin Rosh Hashana. Have a happy and healthy New Year! 🍎🍯✡️

08/21/2025

Honor. Remember. Reflect.
Join us for a meaningful community memorial service.
On Sunday, September 28 at 10:30 AM, JCAM invites you to gather with us at The Baker Street Cemeteries (776 Baker Street, West Roxbury) as we honor the memory of those who came before us.
Led by Rabbi Neal Gold and Cantor Marcie Jonas, this special service offers a moment of reflection, connection, and remembrance.
If you plan to attend, we kindly ask that you register using the link below. While registration is appreciated to help us prepare, please know that no one will be turned away.
https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=NvF3cxD9JEmwkIota85rPo_JvKePI0FIhZ6EawmWsMZUNkVVSk03VFYyM0FVVFFHSzlSTEpQMTVNWS4u&route=shorturl

08/04/2025

JCAM Cemetery Story: Jacob B. Askowith, Designed Flag of Israel

In 2016, new research from Professor Jonathan Sarna of Brandeis revealed the connection between the Israeli flag and Massachusetts Rabbi Jacob Boruch Askowith. He was a prominent member of Boston’s vibrant Lithuanian Jewish community in the late 1800s and designed the so-called B’nai Zion flag. Askowith’s flag was made up of two blue stripes on a white field with a blue Star of David with “Maccabee” written in Hebrew in the center. The flag was first displayed as part of the 400th anniversary celebration of Columbus' voyage in 1892, when Jewish people marched it through the streets of Boston along aside the American flag. It was later displayed at the second Zionist Congress and the 1904 World’s Fair. The flag was eventually edited and adopted as the flag of Israel. Rabbi Askowith died in 1908 and is buried in Kenesseth Israel Cemetery in Woburn. The symbolic power of the flag he designed lives on, over one hundred years after its initial creation!

(With research by Roxanne Glassenberg and Rachel Bassin)
Source: Brandies and The Boston Globe

07/14/2025

Check out these beautiful JCAM cemeteries! For the month of July, all sites at any JCAM location are 10% off! You don't want to miss this summer sale! JCAM owns or manages over 120 of the 222 Jewish cemeteries in Massachusetts, including the two oldest and interfaith burials are offered at select JCAM cemeteries as well!

07/12/2025

Check out JCAM's summer sales promotion! Happening the whole month of July! JCAM owns or manages over 120 of the 222 Jewish cemeteries in Massachusetts, including the two oldest and interfaith burials are offered at select JCAM cemeteries as well!

07/09/2025

A huge thank you to everyone who came to/helped with JCAM‘s first Death Café! Here is JCAM’s CEO, Jamie Cotel and staff member Claire Rensunberg. JCAM will be hosting the next Death Café very soon!

06/23/2025

EVENT: JCAM is hosting its first Death Café! Last chance to sign up! The experience will be a group discussion of death with no agenda, objectives or themes. It is a discussion group rather than a grief support or counseling session, meant to de-stigmatize talking about death and dying. Death Cafés help people talk about death and dying in a supportive, unstructured way.
Death Cafes are always:
- Open to, and respectful of, people of all communities and belief systems.
- In an accessible, respectful and confidential space
- With no intention of leading people to any conclusion, product or course of action

We look forward to seeing you!
Please RSVP to sari.hirsh@jcam.org no later than Tuesday, June 24. Space is limited.

06/19/2025

EVENT: JCAM is hosting its first Death Café! This is an experience where strangers gather to demystify the notion of death.
We hope to increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their lives. The experience will be a group discussion of death with no agenda, objectives or themes. It is a discussion group rather than a grief support or counseling session. Death Cafés help people talk about death and dying in a supportive, unstructured way.
Death Cafes are always:
- Open to, and respectful of, people of all communities and belief systems.
- In an accessible, respectful and confidential space
- With no intention of leading people to any conclusion, product or course of action
***Have cake!
We look forward to seeing you!
Please RSVP to sari.hirsh@jcam.org no later than Tuesday, June 24. Space is limited.

06/15/2025

Overnight in Brookline, Massachusetts suspects threw a brick that said “Free Palestine” through the window of a Jewish owned business in what police are investigating as a hate crime. The individuals fled the scene, and no other businesses appear to have been targeted. JCAM stands in solidarity with the business owner and all Jewish institutions facing acts of hate. Antisemitism has no place in our communities, and we must speak up, stand out, and support one another.

06/13/2025

EVENT: JCAM is hosting its first Death Café! This is an experience where strangers gather to demystify the notion of death.

We hope to increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their lives. The experience will be a group discussion of death with no agenda, objectives or themes. It is a discussion group rather than a grief support or counseling session. Death Cafés help people talk about death and dying in a supportive, unstructured way.

Death Cafes are always:
- Open to, and respectful of, people of all communities and belief systems.
- In an accessible, respectful and confidential space
- With no intention of leading people to any conclusion, product or course of action
***Have cake!

We look forward to seeing you!

Please RSVP to sari.hirsh@jcam.org no later than Tuesday, June 24. Space is limited.

06/03/2025

The Jewish Cemetery Association of Massachusetts is devastated to learn of the violent antisemitic attack that occurred on June 1 in Boulder, Colorado. During a peaceful walk organized by Run for Their Lives, a group that raises awareness for the Jewish and non-Jewish hostages still held in Gaza, eight Jewish individuals were injured and burned by a man who threw Molotov cocktails and used a homemade flamethrower.

Unfortunately, this is just another example of the rise in antisemitic incidents across the country. According to the Anti-Defamation League, Massachusetts had 438 antisemitic incidents reported in 2024, placing our state among the top five in the nation. These numbers are more than statistics, and they represent real people whose safety is under attack.

As an organization committed to preserving Jewish memory and protecting sacred spaces, we stand in solidarity with the Jewish community of Colorado. We join those calling for swift justice and stronger protections for Jewish communities worldwide.

Jamie Cotel, CEO of the Jewish Cemetery Association of Massachusetts, stated:

“What happened in Boulder is not just an attack on the Jewish community in Colorado, it’s an attack on every Jewish community across the world. We are heartbroken by this violence and stand firmly with the survivors and their families. We must never grow numb to these acts of hate. We must speak out and support one another in the face of antisemitism.”

Address

60 Kendrick Street
Needham Heights, MA
02494

Telephone

+16172446509

Website

http://www.jcam.org/

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