On Sunday, June 11, the Lawrence Jewish Community Congregation (LJCC) will host a tour of B’nai Israel Cemetery.
The event is free and open to the public, and registration is requested at the LJCC website.
The event will feature Dr. David Katzman, historian and KU professor emeritus of American studies and Jewish studies. Dr. Katzman will give a presentation on the historical significance of the site, and, more broadly, who is buried there and their importance in local, Kansas and Jewish history.
Attendees will gather at B’nai Israel Cemetery at 10 a.m. for a guided tour of the grounds. Families with young children are also encouraged to attend.
Located in Eudora, the B'nai Israel Cemetery was placed on the National Registry of Historic Places in 2013. The LJCC owns this property and serves as its steward.
The B’nai Israel Cemetery was the second Jewish cemetery in the state, and Eudora was the second organized Jewish community in Kansas. Jews were among Eudora’s first settlers, and the community maintained links with the national Jewish community. After the Civil War, the Eudora Jewish community faded, and it transferred ownership of the cemetery to the Lawrence Jewish community in 1869.
“Until recently, those buried in our cemetery have been lost from memory,” Dr. Katzman said. “Local history is told mostly through the stories of the individuals and families who remained. But the 19th-century Jewish families of Eudora and Lawrence moved on. Their children went away to school and moved to larger Jewish communities, and the parents followed. The few who stayed tended to intermarry and blend into the larger community.
“Our reviving these two acres as our community cemetery and Eudora’s listing of the cemetery on the National Historic Register remind us of our deep roots in Kansas,” Dr. Katzman said. “Those buried here will no longer be lost to memory.”
Additionally, at 10:30 a.m., the LJCC will host a playdate in Eudora’s Asher Cohn Park. Asher Cohn Park was named in honor of one of Eudora’s original settlers, a founder of the cemetery and prominent member of the German-speaking Jewish community. Refreshments and treats will be provided.
The B’nai Israel Cemetery is located at 1301 E. 2100 Road, Eudora, KS 66025. The Asher Cohn Park is located at 2635 Church St, Eudora, KS 66025.
The LJCC is requesting advance registration at ljcc.shulcloud.com/event/tour-of-bnai-israel-cemetery--playdate-at-asher-cohn-park.html. More information is available by contacting LJCC’s program and engagement director, Dr. Lara Giordano, at .