B'NAI Israel Jewish Cemetery, Rapides Parish Louisiana Submitted by Jane Parker McManus ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** Directions: Located in Pineville on East LA Hwy. 28, one block east of the Cottingham Expressway. Cemetery is on the left (North) side just after passing Palmetto Street. There is a small parking area out front, off the highway. An iron fence surrounds the burial ground, and the gate is kept locked at all times. Permission to enter can be obtained from Dr. Bernard Kaplan of Alexandria (1993). Dr. Kaplan and his wife Jean graciously provided the additional history of their organization that is included with this listing. B'Nai cemetery is divided down the center by a concrete walkway. Tombstone inscriptions were recorded from the front to back by Jane P. McManus, 17 April 1993. Most of the tombstones contained Hebrew inscriptions or Hebrew epitaphs, and no attempt was made to interpret, however all other information on the stones is included. Submitted 5 June 2000. History Any discussion regarding the B'Nai Israel Cemetery on Hwy. 28 East in Pineville by necessity requires some knowledge of the origin of its parent organization, the B'Nai Israel Traditional Synagogue. Originally the founders were generally a group of dedicated immigrants who were not completely comfortable with the rite of the existing Jewish congregation in Central Louisiana at the time. As was the history generally throughout the United States, its first Jewish settlers were of Sefardic, or Spanish origin, arriving at these shores in 1654, still fleeing the Spanish Inquisition of 1492. Their rite was Orthodox. As the next wave of Jewish immigration entered during the political upheaval of Western Europe of the 1840s, there was a change in the religious observances as well as the liturgy of that segment of the Jewish community. The first Jewish congregation in this area, while originally Orthodox soon aligned with the newly formed Reform or Liberal wing of Judaism that had its fountainhead at the first formal Jewish theological seminary in this country, the Hebrew Union College of Cincinnati. With the persecutions of the late 1800s in Eastern Europe, the next and largest wave of Jewish immigration occurred, which primarily brought traditionalists to this area. This group, who could not accept the "radical" changes of the existing congregation formed the B'Nai Israel ongregation in 1913 "... for the worship according to the Orthodox rite and custom of the Hebrew or Israelite faith...."(1) The founders of this congregation were Ike Gold, organizer, Nathan Wahlder, Barnett Ginsberg, Meyer Kaplan, Joe Harris, Joe Kaplan, David Neustadt, David M. Kaplan, G. Gates, and Heyman Bohrer. Other supportive individuals were Ike Kaplan, Gus Walder, Morris Weiss, Joseph M. Goldberg, Joseph Weil, Abe Rubin, Sam Shapiro, S. Greenstone, and Ike Posner. Although the Congregation had regular daily and Sabbath services, it was required to meet in individual homes, except that on holidays, public halls were rented. By 1914, the May 27th edition of the Town Talk recorded" "the Congregation of B'Nai Israel of this city bought two acres of land in the suburbs of Pineville from Messrs. Burns and Hembling, to be used as a graveyard for that entire property."(2) The story of those original founders walking from downtown Alexandria across the Murray Street Bridge to inspect the property and eventually make the purchase is known to their descendants. Prior to its use as a cemetery, congregational picnics were staged there. By 1915 the Congregation built a sanctuary on Front and Lee Street, primarily due to the financial assistance of Achille Bauer, who had become upset with the reform Temple Rabbi Rothstein, who had criticized his wife, Hortense, for talking during services.. The Sanctuary was moved in 1926 because of the levee replacement to Front Street, and then to its current location at Vance and Hickory in 1962, with the building of the Fulton Bridge. WEST SECTION - Row 1: Gerber, Pearl F. - 24 Nov 1953/30 Jan 1955 Kaplan, Loretta Harriet - 19 Mar 1952/14 Jun 1952 Kaplan, Infant Daughter - 19 Mar 1952/21 Mar 1952 Twin daughters of J. H. & Norma Kaplan [above 2 burials have double stone] Bialy, Infant of Leon & Rose Bialy - 2 Feb 1952 Kaplan, Infant son of M&M Joe Kaplan - 22 Dec 1927 Lincove, Infant of M&M M. Lincove - 24 Nov 1924 Rekeslinsky, Infant son of M&M I. Rekeslinsky - b&d 16 Oct 1921 Row 2: Kaplan, Nathan - 6 Dec 1922/19 Apr 1977 Kaplan, Meyer - 15 Mar 1889/21 Dec 1958 Mykoff, Lena Kaplan - 15 Oct 1900/30 May 1980 [above 3 stones are identical] Pilzer, Ernst - 10 May 1895/1 Feb 1972 "Pappi" Pilzer, Yohanna Hansi - 15 Oct 1900/26 Oct 1986 "Puppi" Friefeld, David M., husband of Sylvia Mykoff Rubin - 23 Oct 1926/2 Dec 1979 Meyer, Lester S. - 22 May 1903/8 Aug 1980 Row 3: Livesco, C. L. - died 31 Aug 1949, age 76 yrs [under large honeysuckle bush] Weiss, William - 1883/1963 Flexmin, Charles - 15 Mar 1887/12 Apr 1964 Rubin, Samuel - 15 Dec 1918/9 Aug 1971 Brookner, Frances Rubin - 6 Apr 1917/29 Nov 1989 Mother / Grandmother [above 2 stones are identical] Goldfarb, Max - 1 Jan 1915/3 Feb 1940 [slab only] Antoville, Morris Isaac - 20 Apr 1905/3 Apr 1979 Antoville, Esther R. - 10 Dec 1908/10 Feb 1978 Antoville, Sam - 1 Mar 1907/[no death date] [above 2 burials have double stone] [All 3 Antoville markers are identical] Mansberg, Josie - 30 Dec 1905/30 Aug 1981 Wahlder, Isaac - 7 Dec 1901/15 Oct 1983 [slab only] * * * [plot] * * * Lowentritt, Leo Levy Sr. - 12 Apr 1904/27 Feb 1985 Father * * * Fendler, Dr. Ben - 28 Jun 1915/30 Jul 1968 [Physicians Insignia on marker] Kaplan, Julia P. - 15 Jun 1897/18 Aug 1975 Kaplan, Joseph J. - 15 May 1891/19 Feb 1949 Kuplesky, George - 10 Jul 1911/20 Sep 1982 Kuplesky, Mary - 1877/1956 Row 4: Karp, George - 1879/1967 Karp, Sarah - 1886/1959 Lipsitz, L. - 13 Sep 1865/25 Feb 1934 Kaplan, Joseph - died Jul 1916, 54 yrs. "Native of Russia" Kaplan, Lillie L. - 4 Jul 1888/1 May 1957 Kaplan, David Meyer - 4 Jun 1881/23 Oct 1918 [above 2 burials have identical granite slabs] Kaplan, Simon - 1849/20 Nov 1932 Father Kaplan, Sarah - 1863/6 May 1936 Mother Ginsberg, Barnett - died 1 Oct 1956 [5621-5717 in birthdate area] Ginsberg, Nellie L., wife of Barnett Ginsberg - died 16 Oct 1934 [5626-5695 in birthdate area] [above 2 burials have identical upright granite markers] Kaplan, Milton Samuel - 8 Jan 1913/15 Nov 1971 [above burial has double stone - only one side inscribed] Goldstein, Toving - 6 Feb 1904/31 Dec 1992 [funeral marker] Schwartzberg, Abe - 22 Oct 1866/7 Jan 1940, Born in Lepne, Poland Haas, Albert Maurice - 14 Aug 1898/5 Oct 1944 Father [Shriners Emblem] Son of William & Bertha Haas Haas, Florence S. - 1903/1973 Wahlder, Nathan - 9 Apr 1868/10 Jul 1944 Wahlder, Fanie Levin - 15 Feb 1878/15 Dec 1966 Keslinsky, Rena - 1872/1931 Mother Keslinsky, Nathan - 10 Apr 1904/12 Dec 1920 Rubin, Harry - 15 Sep 1882/14 Sep 1949 Rubin, Bella P. - 15 Dec 1889/14 Jun 1976 [above 2 burials have identical above-ground vaults] Harrison, David, Infant son of Jack & Beckey Harrison - 12 Dec 1916/18 Jul 1917 Palter, Sarah - 29 Sep 1915/30 Oct 1939 Rozolsky, Harry - 10 Sep 1882/25 Oct 1964 Rozolsky, Fay - 25 Nov 1905/2 Jan 1969 Mother Hoffman, Mary - 9 Jun 1932 [only date] EAST SECTION - Row 5: Mykoff, Benjamin L. - 12 Mar 1924/18 Apr 1964, LA 1st Lt. 739rd Engr. HV. Shop Co. WW2 Mykoff, Esther W. - 15 May 1901/25 Mar 1970 Mykoff, Isaak - 15 Apr 1900/3 Mar 1988 [above 3 burials have identical stones] Shapiro, Mrs. Gussie - died 17 Oct 1944, 51 yrs Shapiro, Myron Sol - 10 May 1889/10 May 1966 [above 2 burials have identical stones] Shapiro, Jake - 1912/1984 Vovk, Merriam - 16 Jul 1878/17 Jun 1943 Mother Goldblatt, Fannie - 2 Feb 1898/24 Sep 1992 [funeral marker] Goldblatt, Joseph F. - 22 Jul 1889/6 Nov 1937 [Masonic Emblem] Mermelstein, Abe - 2 May 1892/16 May 1958 Elks Emblem] Bohrer, Hannah Lena - died 1 Jun 1927, 73 yrs Bohrer, Sophie Berg, Wife of Heyman Bohrer - 17 Oct 1880/12 Aug 1940 Bohrer, Heyman - 13 Aug 1873/7 Jul 1932 [above 3 burials have identical above-ground vaults] Newstadt, Ida - 22 Aug 1878/2 Feb 1945 Newstadt, David - died 1 Mar 1927, 59 yrs [above 2 burials have identical aboveground vaults] Rodgers, Joel Bert Jr. - 1 Oct 1939/8 Jun 1987 Schlessinger, [no name inscribed] - 24 Oct 1856/26 Oct 1922 Cohen, Joseph - 23 Jun 1894/7 Jun 1979, US Army WW1 Row 6: Sayer, Leon Joseph - 29 Apr 1902/13 Oct 1982 Bernstein, Pauline Soltz, Wife of Thomas Bernstein - 26 Oct 1897/4 Jan 1949 Bialy, Samuel - 9 Aug 1861 Bialsptok, Russia / 12 Feb 1949 Alexandria LA Bialy, Herman - 15 Mar 1887/16 Mar 1974 Father Bialy, Esther - 7 Apr 1897/29 Apr 1981 [above 2 burials have double stone] Bohrer, Willie - 25 Jan 1910/25 Apr 1974 Bohrer, Morris D. - 17 May 1918/5 Jul 1989 [above 2 burials have identical stones] Novoselsky, Paul - 17 Oct 1912/[no death date] Novoselsky, Linda - 30 Sep 1943/[no death date] Novoselsky, Nesia - 27 Sep 1911/10 Apr 1986 [above 3 burials have triple stone] Goldberg, Celia Ettinger - 14 Jan 1880/10 Dec 1945 Ettinger, William - 4 Jul 1902/27 May 1982 Row 7: Robbins, Rose Karsch - 7 Apr 1895/19 Sep 1972 Robbins, Morris Michael - 12 Apr 1879/23 Nov 1971 [above 2 burials have double stone] Footnotes: 1Constitution & Bylaws, B'Nai Israel Congregation, 1913. 2Hinchin, Fourscore and Eleven, 1984.