Cemetery
B' nai Israel (Beni Israel) Cemetery
Click here for YouTube video of Beni Israel Cemetery
The Lawrence Jewish Community Congregation owns and maintains the B’nai Israel Cemetery in
Eudora, KS. LJCC members in good standing have burial rights in the Cemetery. Contact the LJCC
office (785.841.7636, LawrenceJCC@gmail.com) for information about purchasing a burial plot or to arrange a burial.
The cemetery contains graves of Jews dating back to the settlement of the Kansas Territories in
the 1850s. The cemetery is listed as “Beni Israel Cemetery” on the National Register of Historic
Places.
The Beni Israel Cemetery was founded in 1858 by territorial settlers who relocated to the area
via the German Immigrant Settlement Company of Chicago. The Cemetery represents the
social history of the Jewish-Americans who made distinctive contributions to the early
development of both Eudora and Lawrence, Kansas.
The Settlement Company had approximately 600 members who paid weekly dues to purchase
land for farms and a new town. In 1857, the Company purchased 800 acres of Shawnee Indian
land from Paschal Fish and laid out a townsite, Eudora, named after Fish’s daughter. The
Company then resold lots and acreage to its members. Of the 29 heads of families who first
arrived in Eudora, 7 were known to be Jewish.
Among the Jewish settlers, Abraham Summerfield was elected to the first Eudora City Council
and also served as its second Postmaster. Adolphus Erb and Asher Cohen also served on the
City Council and Marcus Summerfield was City Clerk. Frederick Deichmann, whose wife and
children were Jewish, also served on the City Council.
This Cemetery is the major surviving property associated with the Jewish community which
flourished in Eudora from 1857-1867 before relocating to Lawrence. Together with the
Leavenworth Jewish cemetery, these two properties are the only Jewish cemeteries established
in Kansas during the territorial period. The name “Beni Israel” is thought to have either been a
misspelling or a colloquialism of the times. The Cemetery, which is used for current burials, is
now known as B’nai Israel, although the historic section retains the “Beni Israel” designation.
Lorraine Lindenbaum z”l, former cemetery committee member, discussed the Historic
Designation saying, “It protects the property from encroachment as the surrounding land is
developed...The designation also signifies to our LJCC membership what a gem we have
locally.”
Directions to the Cemetery
From Lawrence:
· Head east on K-10 for about 10 miles; look for the big cross at the Methodist church
· Take the Church St./E. 2200 Road exit
· Turn right onto Church St./E. 2200 Road
· Take the first right onto N 1300 Rd./E. 20th St., it will curve sharply north and then turn west
· In one mile, turn right onto E 2100 Rd./Winchester Rd.
· The cemetery will be on the lft, at the NW corner of the intersection of Winchester Rd. and W. 20th St.
Pictures of B'nai Israel Cemetery
Pedestrian Entrance to Beni Israel
Hebrew Lettering on Gravestone
View of west and north fence lines where we propose perimeter trees.
Dr. David Katzman’s Cemetery Tour, 2023
Headstone of Cemetery Founder and One of First Eudora Councilmen, Asher Cohn
Looking West to adjacent fields & United Methodist Church in far view
Genizah (traditional burial of worn out Hebrew language religious texts) placed by Lawrence Jewish Congregation, Inc.
Sun, September 28 2025
6 Tishrei 5786
-
Wednesday ,
OctOctober 1 , 2025Kol Nidre Services (Hybrid)
Wednesday, Oct 1st 7:00p to 8:30p
Please register at ljcc.shulcloud.com/hh -
Thursday ,
OctOctober 2 , 2025Yom Kippur Services (Hybrid)
Thursday, Oct 2nd 9:30a to 6:00p
Please register at ljcc.shulcloud.com/hh -
Thursday ,
OctOctober 2 , 2025Break the Fast
Thursday, Oct 2nd 7:00p to 8:00p
Please register at ljcc.shulcloud.com/hh -
Sunday ,
OctOctober 5 , 2025Blintz Rolling!
Sunday, Oct 5th 10:00a to 12:00p
Participate in one of the longest running and deepest LJCC traditions: rolling blintzes together for the Annual Blintz Brunch! Come work with chef extraordinaire Michael Hennecke to prepare this special treat for sale at our annual fundraiser. -
Friday ,
OctOctober 10 , 2025Sukkot! Pizza in the hut
Friday, Oct 10th 5:15p to 7:30p
Join us in the Sukkah for one of our most beloved traditions: pizza in the hut! We'll gather at 5:30pm for dinner and to shake the lulav before a short musical services led by the Religious School staff and students. -
Wednesday ,
OctOctober 15 , 2025Simchat Torah
Wednesday, Oct 15th 5:30p to 7:30p
Come celebrate the Torah with a potluck, an acknowledgment of the new enrollees in our religious school, and services led by RB and Bogi Perlmutter. -
Sunday ,
OctOctober 19 , 2025Board Meeting (Hybrid)
Sunday, Oct 19th 9:30a to 11:30a
-
Thursday ,
OctOctober 23 , 2025LJCC at LINK
Thursday, Oct 23rd 11:30a to 2:00p
Please sign up to help the LJCC provide lunch at LINK! We need volunteers to provide prepared dishes and to help serve. More info at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0d4cafa629a46-ljcc#/ -
Saturday ,
OctOctober 25 , 2025Saturday Morning Services and Lubliner Bar Mitvah
Shabbat, Oct 25th 10:30a to 1:00p
Join us for Saturday Morning Services and add to the simcha of Duncan's becoming a Bar Mitzvah! -
Sunday ,
OctOctober 26 , 2025
Sunday, Oct 26th 4:00p to 6:00p
All LJCC members are invited to be a part of creating our community mural with local artist Dave Loewenstein! We'll be reviewing a design concept at this meeting.
Joing our Mailing List
Email lawrencejcc@gmail.com to subscribe!
Upcoming Events:
Friday Night
Candle Lighting : 6:43pm |
Privacy Settings | Privacy Policy | Member Terms
©2025 All rights reserved. Find out more about ShulCloud