Jewish Cemetery & Burial Association of Greater Pittsburgh

Jewish Cemetery & Burial Association of Greater Pittsburgh The Jewish Cemetery & Burial Association of Greater Pittsburgh (JCBA) works to bring dignity and respect to abandoned cemeteries across Western Pennsylvania

Did you believe this myth?Although many Jews have been told otherwise, having tattoos will not stop someone from being b...
04/10/2026

Did you believe this myth?

Although many Jews have been told otherwise, having tattoos will not stop someone from being buried in Jewish cemeteries.

There are Torah portions that tell Jews not to mark or scar their bodies, such as Leviticus 19:28 and Deuteronomy 4:15. This is what led to the taboo in Jewish culture.

Some sources say that this myth started with a small minority of Jewish cemeteries that banned tattooed Jews from being buried. Jews who have tattoos are permitted to be buried in Jewish cemeteries in the United States.

The JCBA wishes you a happy Passover!
04/02/2026

The JCBA wishes you a happy Passover!

Last September, the Beaver Falls Boy Scouts visited Agudath Achim Cemetery in Beaver Falls to clean monuments.The scouts...
03/22/2026

Last September, the Beaver Falls Boy Scouts visited Agudath Achim Cemetery in Beaver Falls to clean monuments.

The scouts, most of them born and raised in Beaver Falls, never knew there was a Jewish cemetery in their area. They asked great questions such as "why are there stones on the graves?" and "are there Holocaust survivors buried here?" They left with the knowledge that they participated in one of the highest mitzvot.

As Jewish populations have migrated away from small towns, connecting to non-Jews in these communities is essential to our mission. Our righteous neighbors help to ensure that Jewish sacred spaces are cared for in perpetuity.

By involving younger generations through organizations such as the Boy Scouts, we help secure the preservation and care of these cemeteries.

This cemetery highlight focuses on the historic Beth Abraham Cemetery. Beth Abraham Cemetery is located at the edge of P...
03/16/2026

This cemetery highlight focuses on the historic Beth Abraham Cemetery.

Beth Abraham Cemetery is located at the edge of Pittsburgh’s Carrick neighborhood on Stewart Avenue. Many visitors use the Dairy Queen off of Route 51 to find their way.

In 1888, Russian Jewish immigrants formed a small Orthodox congregation known as Beth Abraham in Pittsburgh’s Hill District. The synagogue served the community from the 1880s through the 1940s, when many Jewish families began moving away from the Hill.

The first burial took place in 1883, but the cemetery wasn't formally incorporated until 1889. The cemetery was transferred to the JCBA in 2010.

Today, this cemetery has over 4,000 graves and continues to be one of the JCBA's most active cemeteries.

Currently, the JCBA holds our annual 10.27 Cemetery Clean-Up Day on these sacred grounds. The first photo shows Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity brothers volunteering at our most recent event.

When walking into a Jewish cemetery, you may wonder: Why do many Jewish graves have stones placed on them?Jews place sto...
03/09/2026

When walking into a Jewish cemetery, you may wonder: Why do many Jewish graves have stones placed on them?

Jews place stones on the headstones of loved ones instead of flowers to honor their memory.

Everyone is welcome to take part in this tradition. Many Jewish cemeteries place an urn of small stones at their entrances for visitors to place on graves, or any stone will do.

Photos from Shaare Torah Cemetery in Carrick, Tiphereth Israel Cemetery in Shaler, and B'nai Israel Cemetery in Steubenville.

Get to know us! The Jewish Cemetery & Burial Association (JCBA) is dedicated to bringing dignity and respect to our ceme...
03/02/2026

Get to know us!

The Jewish Cemetery & Burial Association (JCBA) is dedicated to bringing dignity and respect to our cemeteries by preserving our precious heritage and preventing the future abandonment of Jewish cemeteries.

The JCBA was formed in 1992 as our community's response to a vital need: providing dignified burials to Jews in need and preserving Jewish cemeteries that align with our laws and customs.

When the JCBA was founded, three cemeteries were under our care.

Today, we preserve and maintain 45 Jewish cemeteries throughout Western Pennsylvania.

Together, with our community partners, we work with families to provide Jewish burials in accordance with our laws and traditions.

We continue to provide free burials to Jews in need who would otherwise be unable to have a Jewish burial.

The first photo is from historic Beth Abraham Cemetery in Carrick, PA.

Address

PO Box 81863
Pittsburgh, PA
15217

Telephone

+14125536469

Website

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