The Ohel

The ohel, photographed September 2015.

The ohel, photographed September 2015.

A Resolution. Resolved and recommended by the Hevra Kadisha, a body of men, members of the Homestead Hebrew Cong. having charge of the cemetery, owned by the Homestead Hebrew Cong., a body of men doing business under the Charter of the State of Pa., shall erect a building on their cemetery, situated in Mifflin Township, Homeville, Pa.

— Meeting minutes of the H.H.C.R.S., 5/7/19221

Ohel Building Committee report total cost of building $6375.00.

— Meeting minutes of the H.H.C.R.S., 11/5/19222

The ohel (chapel) that stands on the cemetery today was built and dedicated in the summer of 1922.  You can read much more about it here.  What’s amazing about this unassuming little building is that the exterior and interior are covered with inscriptions honoring our ancestors who contributed to building and maintaining it!

Pictures of the inscriptions around the exterior of the house are in the slideshow at the bottom of this post.  But the real stunner is that just inside the front door is this marble tablet!

The marble table inside the ohel.

The marble table inside the ohel.

The ohel was turned into a home some years ago.  You can see the tenants’ shoes and bags at the bottom of the picture.  The curtains that I pulled back to take the picture are normally drawn over the tablet.

You’ll also see in the gallery below pencil drawings from the ’20s of additional inscriptions inside the building that once marked the windows and doors.  They aren’t there anymore.  The interior finishing appears fairly new; the renovations that made the ohel a home (if not an earlier round of work) must have removed them.  Alas.


Tablet inside the ohel

  • Mr. and Mrs. Barney Hepps 200

Donors

  • Mr. & Mrs. H.S. Schwartz 100 (in ledger)
  • Mr. and Mrs. Morris Frankel 100 (in ledger)
  • Mr. and Mrs. B. Friedlander 65 (in ledger)
  • Louis Gluck 100
  • Mr. and Mrs. B. Seiavitch 100
  • Mr. and Mrs. S.E. Jacobson 100
  • Mr. and Mrs. M. Jacobson 100
  • Mr. and Mrs. L.S. Jacobson 100

In Memory of

  • Ruth Moss 100 (ledger: Mr and Mrs Dr M.H. Moss 100 In memory of Ruth Moss)
  • Louis Jacobson 100 (ledger: Mrs F. Jacobson 100 In memory of Louis Jacobson)
  • Katie Lincoff 100 (ledger: Mr I Lincoff 100 In memory of Mother Kate Lincoff)
  • Emil Lebovitz 100 (ledger: Mrs Emil Lebovitz 100 In memory of Emil Lebovitz)
  • Rachel Grinberg 75 (ledger: Open Door Rachel Grinberg 75 In memory of Rachel Grinberg)
  • Morris Lefkowitz 50 (ledger: Mrs Esther Lefkovitz 50 In memory of Morris Lefkovitz)
  • Amelia Hertz 50 (ledger: Mrs Sam Glick 50 In memory of Amelia Hertz)
  • Anna Rosenthal 50 (ledger: Mr + Mrs Sam Rosenthal 50 In memory of Anna Rosenthal)
  • Esther Siegel 50 (ledger: Mr George Siegel 50 In memory of Esther Siegel)
  • William Fogel 50 (ledger: Mr Sam Fogel Jr 50 In memory of Wm Fogel)
  • Nathan Eskovitz 50 (ledger: Mrs F Eskovitz 50 In memory of Nathan Eskovitz)
  • Clara Segelman 50 (ledger: Miss Minnie Sigelman 50 In memory of Clara Segelman)
  • Herman Meyers 50 (in ledger)
  • Henry Glick 50 (in ledger)
  • Mr. and Mrs. B. Glueck 100 (in ledger)
  • Robert J. Glueck 500
  • I.J. Goldston, Sadie Goldston, Rosie Golston 200 (ledger: I J Goldston Seat In memory of Mr + Mrs I J Goldston)
  • Chaim & Leah Lembersky 50
  • Reuben Schermer, Peppi Klein, Bettie Schermer 200
  • Alex L. Hepps 100
  • Mendal Margolis, Rachel Margolis 100
  • Sadye H. Rosenblatt
  • Adolph Hepps, Julia Hepps 100
  • Morris Keizler 100
  • Leon Trau, Anna Trau, Rose Trau 250
  • Samuel Rosenthal, Bertha Rosenthal 100
  • Joseph Weinberger, Yetti Weinberger 100
  • E. Abe Keizler 100
  • William Keizler 100
  • Mrs Jennie Adelsberg 50 In memory of John J. Rome (in ledger only; not inscribed on tablet)

Dedications on the building (copied from ledger)

  • Myer Grinberg Opening Door Bt 75.00 Paid 70.00 (no longer visible)
  • B Hepps Middle Star Bt 155.00 Paid 155.00 In memory of Morris J Hepps (no longer visible)
  • Alex Hepps Left Star Bt 70.00 Paid 7.00 In memory of S & E Klein (no longer visible)
  • Mor Grinberg Right Star Bt 75.00 Paid 75.00 In memory of Celia Grinberg (no longer visible)
  • D Braszley over front Door Bt 100.00 Paid 25.00 bal 75.00 (no longer visible)
  • D Jacobson 1st Window top coping Bt 40.00 Paid 50.00 Inscription D. Jacobson (still visible)
  • E Greenstein 2nd wind coping Bt 75.00 bal 75.00 (no longer visible)
  • M Keizler Window Stone Bt 13.00 Paid 13.00 In memory of Paye Keizler (still visible)
  • U Cohen Window Stone Bt 100.00 Paid 100.00 In memory of Zelda & Leba Cohen (still visible)
  • R Shermer Inside Wind top Bt 70.00 Paid 7.00 In memory of Bertha Schermer (still visible)
  • S Rosenthal Inside Wind low. Bt 65.00 Paid 65.00 In memory of Chaim Lembersky (still visible)
  • J Burechson on Steps Bt 60.00 Paid 60.00 Inscription J Burechson (no longer visible)
  • H Haupt Rear Wind top Bt 40.00 Paid 40.00 In memory of Emanuel A. Haupt (no longer visible)
  • I Samuels Rear Wind low Bt 60.00 Paid 10.00 bal 50.00 (no longer visible)
  • Louis Shwartz Door rear top Bt 50.00 bal 50.00 (no longer visible)
  • S Averbach on steps Inscription S Averbach (no longer visible)

  1. Box 7, 1920-1930 Meeting Minutes, p. 32  

  2. ibid, p. 42  

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