Names Remembered

Database of statewide Jewish burial sites goes online.

recorded names, looked through old
records and entered the information
into a database.
In 1993, Federation officially creat-
fter almost a decade of
ed the cemetery index project, under
work, a database of Jews
Brandwine's leadership. Three years
who were buried in the
later, U.S. District Court Senior
Detroit area from the 1850s
Judge Avern Cohn created a fund in
through 1999 has been recorded and
memory of his father, Irwin, to help
is now available online through the
complete the project.
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
"The family is pleased, given its
Detroit Web page.
long-time presence in
In the first phase of the
the community, to have
Irwin I. Cohn Michigan
the opportunity to
Jewish Cemetery Index
make the index possi-
Project, approximately
ble," said Judge Cohn,
52,000 names have been
of Bloomfield Hills,
entered into the Web site
"particularly since some
v,,,ww.ThisIsFederation.org .
of
the members of the
Those who died after
family
are interred at
1999 can he found by an
Beth Olem (in
Internet link to the obituar-
Hamtramck)."
ies at the Jewish News.
The project' s goal is
"It's the kind of thing
to develop and main-
every community should
tain a master database
have, " said Robert
Tillie Br a 72 dwine
with a record of every
Aronson, Federation CEO.
burial in a Jewish ceme-
"It's important in terms of
tery in Michigan.
the history of our commu-
"It's very exciting to
nity and also the connec-
see it on the Web," said
tion that it creates for fami-
Brandwine, who gave
lies with their past."
up her involvement sev-
The idea came in 1991,
eral years ago. "I'm
when the project's founder,
delighted to see that it
Bingham Farms resident
is going forward, and I
Matilda "Tillie" Brandwine
hope
we can continue
sought information from
until we have all the
the Detroit Public Library
information that's avail-
for an out-of-town friend.
able in the state."
She found many volumes of Avern Co hn
As information from
Oakland County cemetery
other cemeteries is gathered, it will be
indexes, but no Jewish cemeteries
added to the database. Names from
were amona b them, she said.
cemeteries in places like Benton
Further checking showed syna-
Harbor and Petoskey have already
gogue death records in various stages
been acquired and will be added to
of completion.
the database, she said.
She took on the task of entering
the name, date of death and cemetery
location of all Jews buried in
The Jewish Community Archives
Michigan, and making the informa-
was created by Federation in 1991
tion available publicly. The effort
to serve the Federation, its mem-
soon became a monumental under-
ber agencies and local community,
taking, after at least 36 Jewish burial
organizations. For more informa-
sites were located in the Detroit area.
tion about the Irwin I. Cohn
Michigan has more than 3,800 burial
Cemetery Project, call the
sites.
Leonard N. Simons Jewish
A committee of volunteers, includ-
Community Archives director,
ing members of the Jewish
Heidi Christein, (248) 203-1491.
Genealogical Society of Metropolitan
Detroit, walked through cemeteries,

HARRY KIRSBAUM

Staff Writer

A

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Above: Machpelah
Cemetery in Ferndale.
Right: Headstone at
Machpelah Cemetery.

