RONNIE SUTTNER
Benoni Cemetery now has a spanking new concrete fence
CHAIRMAN, BENONI CHEVRAH KADISHA
The Benoni Chevrah Kadisha some time ago, through the letters page of Jewish Report, appealed “to all families with loved ones buried in Benoni, to assist us in raising funds to erect a concrete palisade perimeter wall and hire a security company to assist us in protecting our cemetery.
Even the tombstones in the cemetery are at risk, because the theft of tombstones is now becoming a reality.”
On behalf of the president of the United Hebrew Institutions of Benoni, Bernie Goldman and the Benoni Chevrah Kadisha, we would like to thank each one of our kind donors for making phase one of our project possible.
A concrete palisade fence has been erected around the cemetery and a garden service has been hired to take care of the grounds.
Our next project is to increase the security of the Ohel and Tahara House by fitting burglar bars to all windows and find a suitable gate which cannot be stolen.
The cemetery was consecrated and used as a Jewish burial ground in 1912 although we have one grave which dates back to 1901. Before this time Jewish interments took place at the Boksburg cemetery.
The great flu epidemic of the early 1900s tragically took the lives of many young Jewish children. Thanks to our late chairman, Danny Dancig, a tombstone showing the name and date of death was erected on everyone of these graves after much research and investigation.
Benoni has a fully functional and dedicated Chevrah Kadisha which takes care of the needs of the deceased in our community.
The Benoni Jewish Cemetery had become the victim of ongoing theft and damage and the perimeter fence had been stolen three times; the electrical connection had been stolen and we had to endure numerous break-ins and damage to property.
* For further information, please contact me, Ronnie Suttner chairman of the Benoni Chevrah Kadisha on 083-252-0539 or ronnie.suttner@gmail.com, or the Benoni Shul on (011) 845-2850 or benonishul@telkomsa.net
