Who We Are
Our Mission
The mission of the Friends of the Gladwyne Jewish Memorial Cemetery is to ensure dignity for those interred at Har Hasetim and their families while honoring the historical, cultural and natural significance of the site. We achieve our mission by working together with volunteers and with the support of community partners primarily through restoration and maintenance of the graves and natural features, sharing the story of the cemetery, and providing access to information about those interred at the site.
Goals for 2026
- Advancing creation of an accessible on-line database of all burials and developing a detailed historical timeline for the Har Hasetim cemetery
- Stabilizing the property, pursuing our rights for Greaves Lane site access, and expanding the number of graves that are in a refurbished condition as described in the Master Plan adopted in 2017
- Expanding fundraising and volunteer development through programming, membership, grants and outreach initiatives
View the cemetery from a whole new angle. This drone video, captured in 2022, provides a bird's-eye view of the cemetery and its beautiful natural surroundings. Significant restoration work has since taken place in several sections.
Our Purpose
The purpose of the Friends of the Gladwyne Memorial Jewish Cemetery is:
- To care for, maintain, restore, manage, operate and secure the property known as the Gladwyne Jewish Memorial Cemetery, located in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania on behalf of the owner of the Cemetery, Beth David Reform Congregation;
- To provide and maintain a suitable religious burial ground for those persons buried in the Cemetery;
- To stimulate public awareness and appreciation for the Cemetery as a historical site and to solicit the participation of the community in its maintenance and preservation;
- To receive and administer funds for the aforesaid purposes.
The following video captures the cemetery landscape before our restoration efforts began several years ago
Officers
- Adam Buchanan, President
- Marji Hendler, Vice President & Secretary
- Robert Friedman, Treasurer
Trustees
- Jill Cooper
- Steve Feder
- Stephen Finkelman
- Alan Kirsch
- Dennis Montagna
- Elliot Rosen
- Neil Sukonik, Immediate Past President