Bristol Jewish Burial Society
The Chevra Kaddisha (Burial Society) for the Jewish community in Bristol was founded in 1743. It is a registered charity and operates independently of the Bristol Hebrew Congregation and Park Row Synagogue.
Its members work in a voluntary capacity to ensure that the funeral preparation and service is in accordance with orthodox Jewish practice. The Society recognises the authority of the Chief Rabbi of Great Britain and the Commonwealth.
You do not need to be a member of any organised Jewish congregation to access burial at one of the current Jewish cemeteries. The only requirement is that the deceased is halachically Jewish. You may make arrangement for your burial by booking a plot, at any time.
Currently (2021) a funeral for a member of Bristol Hebrew Congregation costs £3500. For non-members the charge is around £4200, although there will be additional costs if the deceased has to be brought some considerable distance. The charges cover all aspects of the funeral except long distance transport.
The Society uses the services of local undertakers: Messrs. Harrison, and they provide services such as hearses and gravediggers, and they also keep a room for exclusive use when laying out.
The Society maintains three cemeteries: the historic burial ground at Barton Road, St Philips dating from 1743 and closed for nearly 100 years; the current burial ground at Oakdene Avenue, Fishponds, set up in 1923 (which contains nearly 1000 burials and is nearly full); and the new, consecrated burial ground at Memorial Woodlands, at Earthcote in South Gloucestershire.
Graves from the historic Jewish cemetery formerly at Rose Street in the city, were moved to Oakdene Avenue in the 1920s.
Memorial stones are the responsibility of the executors of the deceased, and there is a requirement for all stones to be flat at Memorial Woodlands to enable the grass cutting equipment to pass freely over.
For further information please contact the Society’s Chairman: Alan Elkan 07967 979 137