Hebrew Rest
Waco, McLennan County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Jews settled in Waco in the 1850s. In 1869 the Hebrew Benevolent Association (HBA) was formed to assist the needy and provide interment in accordance with the laws and rites of Judaism. That year, the HBA acquired this property as a Jewish burial ground. It was named Hebrews' Rest. The first burial was of an 18-month old infant, Bessee Lyans, in July 1869. Hebrew Rest Cemetery was enlarged with purchases of additional land in 1893 and 1922. Many early leaders of Waco's Jewish community and prominent Wacoans are interred here.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Jewish families began settling in Waco in the 1850s, and in 1869 they formed the Hebrew Benevolent Association to aid the needy and provide burial according to Jewish law. That year the association acquired this ground as Hebrews' Rest, opening it with the burial of an eighteen-month-old child. Enlarged in 1893 and 1922, the cemetery holds many of the leaders who built Waco's Jewish community.
Why it matters
Hebrew Rest is a tangible record of Jewish immigration and community-building in nineteenth-century Central Texas, preserving the founders of a lasting congregation.
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