Mordecai Sheftall Cemetery


The Mordecai Sheftall Cemetery is a Jewish cemetery in Savannah, Georgia. It is one of the oldest Jewish cemeteries in America. Located at the end of Coyle Street in the Kayton/Frazier area of West Savannah, it is sometimes referred to as the Old Jewish Burial Ground, the Jewish Cemetery Memorial, the Jewish Community Cemetery or the Sheftall Cemetery.

History

The founding date of the Mordecai Sheftall Cemetery is disputed; some sources cite August 2, 1773, while others claim that it was established four years prior, in 1769. The cemetery was founded by Mordecai Sheftall, a leader in the Savannah Jewish community, on 1.5 acres of a 5-acre tract of land granted to him and nine other trustees by King George III to be used as a Jewish cemetery and a synagogue.
The cemetery was in use until the late nineteenth century, or a little over one hundred years. Today, it is still maintained by Mordecai Sheftall's trust. It is situated near the Levi Sheftall Family Cemetery, where much of the Sheftall, de Lyon and De La Motta families are buried.

Notable burials