01In brief
Beth Israel Cemetery is a Jewish cemetery at 426 S. Taylors Ferry Road in southwest Portland, Oregon, across from River View Cemetery. Its institutional history is linked to the Mt. Sinai Cemetery Association, incorporated in 1856, and to Congregation Beth Israel, formally organized on May 2, 1858; the association's cemetery was later taken over by the congregation. The cemetery holds a place in Portland's early Jewish communal history and includes the grave of Theodore Olsen, a Christian caretaker who served the congregation for forty-seven years and asked to be interred there.
02Overview
Beth Israel Cemetery is a Jewish burial ground at 426 S. Taylors Ferry Road in southwest Portland, opposite River View Cemetery.[1] It is associated with Congregation Beth Israel, which took over the cemetery of the earlier Mt. Sinai Cemetery Association.[2] Historical city directories place Beth Israel Cemetery on the south side of Taylor's Ferry Road by 1900–1901.[3]
03History
The Mt. Sinai Cemetery Association was incorporated in 1856 with the purpose of making Jewish burial rites and interments in a dedicated Jewish cemetery possible for Portland's growing Jewish community.[1][2] This association predated the formal organization of Congregation Beth Israel, which was established on May 2, 1858, making the cemetery association among the earliest Jewish communal institutions in Portland.[1][2] Peter Wiernik called it "A burial society, or cemetery association," and stated that it was organized before Portland's first Jewish benevolent society.[4]
The original land purchased by the Mt. Sinai Cemetery Association was located in the Carruthers Addition, an area near Portland's South Waterfront. No cemetery remains at that location today.[1] The Jewish Encyclopedia notes that the Mt. Sinai Cemetery Association's burial grounds were later taken over by Congregation Beth Israel, though the date of that transfer is not recorded.[2] The present Beth Israel Cemetery at 426 S. Taylors Ferry Road in southwest Portland was listed in the 1900–1901 Portland city directory as a Jewish cemetery on the south side of Taylor's Ferry Road, with Herman F. Bleeg named as its superintendent.[1][3]
04Notable Interments and Communal Significance
Among those buried at Beth Israel Cemetery is Theodore Olsen, a Christian man who served as Congregation Beth Israel's caretaker for forty-seven years and asked to be buried there.[1] His request was honored, connecting his long service to the congregation with the cemetery's communal history.
Olsen is also remembered for an act of courage during the synagogue fire of 1923. He risked his life in an attempt to save the congregation's Torah scrolls, and though he was unable to rescue them, he succeeded in saving prayer books and congregational records.[1] His interment in Beth Israel Cemetery stands as a testament to the depth of the relationship he shared with the congregation he served for nearly half a century.
Sources
- 1JewishGen, JewishGen KehilaLinks, “Jewish Life: Synagogues, Cemeteries, Organizations, accessed on September 25, 2026.
- 2Jewish Encyclopedia, OREGON - JewishEncyclopedia.com, accessed on September 25, 2026.
- 3Internet Archive, Full text of "Portland City Directory 1900-1901", accessed on September 25, 2026.
- 4Project Gutenberg, The Project Gutenberg eBook of History of the Jews in America, by Peter Wiernik, accessed on September 25, 2026.
IsraelPedia Question & Answers
What is Beth Israel Cemetery in Portland, Oregon?
Beth Israel Cemetery is a Jewish cemetery at 426 S. Taylors Ferry Road in southwest Portland, Oregon, located across from River View Cemetery. Its institutional history is tied to the Mt. Sinai Cemetery Association, incorporated in 1856, and to Congregation Beth Israel, formally organized on May 2, 1858, with the association's cemetery later taken over by the congregation.
What was the Mt. Sinai Cemetery Association, and how does it relate to Beth Israel Cemetery?
The Mt. Sinai Cemetery Association was incorporated in 1856 to make Jewish burial rites and interments possible for Portland's growing Jewish community, predating even the formal organization of Congregation Beth Israel. It was among the earliest Jewish communal institutions in Portland. The association's original burial grounds, located in the Carruthers Addition near Portland's South Waterfront, were later taken over by Congregation Beth Israel, though the date of that transfer is not recorded.
Who was Theodore Olsen, and why is he buried at Beth Israel Cemetery?
Theodore Olsen was a Christian man who served as Congregation Beth Israel's caretaker for forty-seven years. He asked to be buried at Beth Israel Cemetery, and the congregation honored his request. Olsen is also remembered for risking his life during the synagogue fire of 1923 in an attempt to save the congregation's Torah scrolls; though he was unable to rescue them, he succeeded in saving prayer books and congregational records.
When was Beth Israel Cemetery first recorded in Portland's city directories?
Beth Israel Cemetery at 426 S. Taylors Ferry Road was listed in the 1900–1901 Portland city directory as a Jewish cemetery on the south side of Taylor's Ferry Road, with Herman F. Bleeg named as its superintendent.