Gates Of Prayer Cemetery

I’ve had meetings at this end of canal recently and as I usually have time to kill (haha) before or after, I’ve been investigating the cemeteries nearby. This one was really different in that many of the graves seem to be in the ground… and that it is comprised of concrete panels, rather than grass or shell paths. It’s hard to determine where the paths end and the graves begin. Which sort of freaks me out, I hate the idea of walking on a grave.
From what I can find, this space is actually three separate cemeteries for 3 separate congregations and it is the oldest Jewish cemetery in the city. The three cemeteries are Gates of Prayer #1 (Tememe Derech Cemetery from 1858 – 1939), Beth Israel #1, and Chevra Thilim. Gates of Prayer Synagogue used to be located in the area but is now out in Metairie, but is still a thriving house of worship.
While this cemetery doesn’t have any superfancy tombs, I did enjoy seeing a different style and I always love inscriptions in foreign languages (many are written in Hebrew). Many of the tombstones are from the 19^th century but there are a few from the mid 20^th century. It doesn’t look like anyone has been interred here in decades though.
More information and photos: