A cemetery is a caring history of people, a perpetual record of yesterday that exists because every life is worth living and remembering—always.
The Temple Emanu-El Cemetery and Mausoleum was established at its present site in 1884, and today joins Greenwood Cemetery, Freedman’s Cemetery and Calvary Cemetery as one of four historic cemeteries in Uptown, Dallas, just west of North Central Expressway. The beginnings of Temple Emanu-El date back to 1872, when a young Jewish man died in June of that year. Eleven men formed the Hebrew Benevolent Society to bury the deceased, and members of this Society established Temple Emanu-El in 1875. The 11-1/2 acre cemetery, on a tranquil, shady site now in the midst of the vibrant city that Dallas has become, contains the graves of generations of “early families and newcomers, of merchants and physicians, lawyers and teachers, rabbis and writers, architects, engineers, social workers and musicians,” according to the historic marker at the cemetery.
Leaving of Stones
It is customary to leave stones at the gravesite. This is an ancient Jewish custom expressing the permanence of our memories of our loved ones. The Temple Emanu-El Cemetery provides stones for this purpose.
The headstone can include the English and Hebrew name of your loved one, as well as the dates of birth and death in English and Hebrew. Some may choose to include the Hebrew letters pei and nun, standing for “here is buried” and tav, nun, tzadi, bet and hei standing for the phrase “May his/her soul be bound up in the bond of eternal life.”
At Yahrzeit and the High Holy Days
It is traditional to visit the graves of those who have passed at the season of yahrzeit and during the Days of Awe. Temple hosts a yearly service of Kever Avot on the Sunday between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and all are welcome, no matter where your loved ones are buried
For information on space availability, pricing, tours of the Temple Cemetery and Mausoleum, Jewish traditions and pre-need planning, contact:
Jeff Friedman, Director of Cemetery Operations
214-706-0000, ext. 1601
Hours of Operation
Open from dawn until dusk