The Jewish Life Cycle is laden with mitzvot and tradition that has been handed down from generation to generation. Just as a marriage and a bris are life-cycle events so too is a death and a burial. 

 

Maintenance of the Orthodox Jewish section of Glendale Cemetery is one of the tasks undertaken by BEJ.   Each year the Board of Directors appoints individuals to the Cemetery Committee to oversee BEJ’s portion of the care and maintenance of the cemetery. The Cemetery Committee sees to it that the cemetery is manicured and maintained as well as dealing with the individuals who are paid to create new graves.

 

 

As with any shul endeavor there are costs associated with the performance of duties and the cemetery is no exception. Members and non-members of Beth El Jacob pay service fees and we are fortunate to have some dollars in investments so that we are able to keep the charges reasonable. All burials in the BEJ section of Glendale must conform to Orthodox Halachic rules.

 

Listed below is the current fee schedule:

It’s a blessing for the shul to have a Jewish Cemetery for the purpose of honoring our own. Some communities within Iowa never had or have abandoned their cemetery responsibilities. Not Des Moines and not Beth El Jacob. If you have questions or concerns regarding the cemetery we ask that you to call the BEJ office at 515-274-1551. Those inquiries will be passed along to the Cemetery Committee.

 

 

The Jewish Orthodox section of Des Moines Glendale Cemetery adheres to Orthodox Halachic laws. One of those principals is a very simple grave. As such the use of vaults for interment is highly discouraged. The Jewish section of Glendale has special dispensation from the city to not use vaults. 

 

As a result of not using vaults, it can take from four months to up to one year for a grave to settle before additional dirt and finishing sod is applied to the grave. Though this can be upsetting to loved ones of the deceased, in order to keep the Orthodox section in a condition that is as maintainable as possible this is a necessary inconvenience.

 

Starting in the spring of 2010 the adding of dirt and the application of sod to graves will occur two times during the year. One time is just before the Memorial Day holiday and a second time is just before the Jewish High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. 

 

If you visit the grave of a loved one and you have a concern about the appearance of that grave or notice unusual settling of that grave we ask that you contact the Beth El Jacob Synagogue office. Information will be relayed to the Cemetery Committee and the grave will be inspected. If work needs to be done, a Cemetery Committee member will contact our designated landscaping company and the grave will be taken care of in as timely a manner as possible.