Netherlands Cemetery Association and Roxbury Mutual Society Burial Ground: Located on Linwood Ave, Melrose, MA, about ten miles north of Boston. In 1859, a group of Dutch Jews living in the greater Boston area, formed a fraternal organization, the Netherlands Cemetery Association. They opened Netherlands Cemetery for their members. Everyone buried in the cemetery is either from the Netherlands, married to someone from the Netherlands, or descended from someone born in the Netherlands. Members of the Fischer family, who are related to the Hammelburg/Hamilburg families buried in the cemetery, have managed the cemetery since 1948. The current manager is Mr. Sam Fischer. About 1984, Mr. Fischer merged Netherlands Cemetery Association with the Roxbury Mutual Society, another burial society, changing the name to "Netherlands Cemetery Association and Roxbury Mutual Society Burial Ground." The still-active cemetery, with about 475 burial, is unaffiliated with any temple or synagogue. This very small cemetery in a quiet, residential neighborhood is neat and well maintained. The cemetery has an unlocked gate. The tombstones are in excellent condition with fewer than ten tombstones toppled due to age and weathering. Almost all of the tombstones are written in English, but many also have some Hebrew as well. I saw only one written in Dutch. A few of the older tombstones are difficult to read due to weathering. Many of the tombstones give the birthplace of the deceased, most commonly Amsterdam, but Utrecht, Schaagen, London, and Boston. In a few cases, the tombstone gives the maiden name of the wife. Some mention the deceased's spouse. Some give the dates of birth and death, while others give the date of death and age. Most names have more than one legible tombstone. The manager holds the records of the cemetery. The records consist of the following: name of the deceased, women by their married names only, date of death, and location of grave within the cemetery. The Jewish Cemetery Association of Massachusetts, Inc. (JCAM), also holds the records. Five surnames on tombstones in the cemetery have no corresponding entries in the computer printout. Sometimes the names on the tombstones are spelled slightly differently from the names in the computer printout. Directions.
Cemeteries on Route 99, Broadway: Directions. [August 2009]
Aguthdath Achim:
Hadrath Israel:
United Brotherhood of Onikchty Society: Route 99
Vilkomer: Route 99
9605 Workmen's Circle: Route 99 and Peabody (Route 114)