Beth Hamedrosh Hagodol Cemetery, located at 9125 Ladue Rd., is nearing completion of significant upgrades to enhance the visitor experience and preserve the cemetery’s historic grounds. The improvements include a new office and garage, updated walkways, newly paved roads and a restructured parking lot. Visitors will also notice changes to many of the burial sites in this cemetery, one of the oldest in the St. Louis Jewish community.
The cemetery’s board of directors authorized the updates after careful deliberation. Key changes include leveling mounds and removing existing ground cover and wooden boxes surrounding graves. Eventually, all grave sites will be uniformly covered with grass to create a more cohesive and serene environment.
“The cemetery’s board and staff are dedicated to ensuring the grounds reflect the care and respect we have for the Jewish community we serve,” said Roberta Gutwein, president of the Beth Hamedrosh Hagodol Cemetery Association. She noted that the ivy and sedum ground cover, which has been removed, held no religious significance but had become difficult to maintain.
Executive Director Cindy Becker echoed these sentiments, explaining the operational challenges posed by the previous landscape. “The upkeep and personnel demands made it nearly impossible to maintain the current ground cover. We want visitors to find the grounds attractive year-round, and these changes will help achieve that goal.”
The board’s goal is to ensure the cemetery remains a place of beauty and calm for families and visitors, while also simplifying long-term maintenance.
