Print This Page
Old cemeteries are full of long-forgotten stories and Leicester’s Orthodox Jewish cemetery is no exception. Thanks must go to the Heritage Lottery for funding the work involved in creating this website which includes a full catalogue of all the burials in the cemetery, genealogical search facilities and a wealth of fascinating stories of some of the lives behind the stones.
To find out more about this Heritage Lottery funded project please visit The Project and meet the Project Team.
About Jewish Gilroes
Jewish Gilroes is the only Orthodox Jewish cemetery serving Leicester and the surrounding areas. The first burial took place in 1902 and the site now contains over 900 burial plots. It is divided into two distinct sections. The older section has large wrought iron gates and a thick hedge to separate it from the city’s cemetery and crematorium. There is a small Tahara house (prayer house) on the old site which is still in use for both burials and stone setting services.
The Prayer Stone in the old section
At the entrance to each section are two large granite tablets inscribed with a prayer to be said by anyone who has not visited the cemetery for 30 days. There is an area in the far corner of the old section where stillborn and very young babies were buried. In the Jewish religion, it is traditional that there are no flowers at funerals and that none are left at graves. When visiting graves it is customary to leave a stone on the kerb of the grave. To find out more about customs and rituals please click here.
Who we are
This website, part of a Heritage Lottery funded project, has been created and populated by members and friends of the Leicester Hebrew Congregation. The website provides a catalogue of all the burials, a facility for genealogical searches and tells some fascinating stories about the lives behind just a few of the stones in the cemetery. These stories are the result of careful research by a group of enthusiastic volunteers.
Thanks go to everyone who has contributed.
If you know any more information that we have failed to include then please visit the Contact page and let us know. Thank you.