CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Originally four independent cemeteries were established on land purchased by the Hebrew Benevolent Society and Congregation B’nai Sholom, the plots popularly known as Jewish Graceland form the oldest surviving Jewish Cemetery in Chicago, dating to 1851.

Hebrew Benevolent Cemetery
Chicago, IL
October 2020

Hebrew Benevolent Cemetery by Paul Sager, on Flickr


Originally four Jewish congregations owned separate parcels, each a narrow strip running east to west. The Hebrew Benevolent Society has owned one strip since the 1890s and now is responsible for the entire cemetery.

Hebrew Benevolent Cemetery


The combined cemeteries were active and well maintained for nearly 100 years, but maintenance slowly waned in the 1970s as families died out or moved away and the congregations responsible for individual sections closed. There are probably 3,000 people buried in the combined cemetery.

Hebrew Benevolent Cemetery


In the 1980s ownership of the cemetery sections were consolidated and funds were raised to remove more than 150 dead trees that threatened both the markers and cemetery visitors.

Hebrew Benevolent Cemetery


Chicago's first sizeable wave of Jewish immigrants arrived from Europe after the "Year of the Revolutions" in 1848. These largely unsuccessful attempts at promoting civil rights and a semblance of democracy in the European monarchies brought a large number immigrants to the United States seeking the freedoms denied them back home.

Hebrew Benevolent Cemetery


The German-speaking states contributed the largest numbers of Jews. Chicago attracted a significant number who soon became the dominant element of the local Jewish community.

Hebrew Benevolent Cemetery


Most tombstones are in English, though a few have Hebrew or German inscriptions. Since so many of the people buried in the cemetery had come from Germany and were soon assimilated, English inscriptions predominate.

Hebrew Benevolent Cemetery


Images in this post were all captured using expired (2004) Fuji NPH400 35mm color negative film, set to ISO-0200 in the camera. Processing and scanning was performed by North Coast Photography Services of Carlsbad, CA. The scanned JPEGs were processed further in Adobe Lightroom v6. All images use the EF 35mm f/1.4L and the EOS 1v.

Wrigleyville


These images are sized to fill your wide-screen display. Try using <F11> to maximize your browser window for the full effect. If the images overshoot your display, such as a laptop, just click on the image or the URL link and they'll resize to your screen from the host Flickr site. You can click a bit further into the image details on the Flickr page, if desired. EXIF data is available from the host Flickr pages as well. On the Flickr site, use your <L>key for Large and the <F11> for the full-screen.

Country Boy Loc: Beckley, WV

Another outstanding presentation of great photos and narrative. Your posts are truly tops!

bbradford Loc: Wake Forest NC

Paul, as always wonderful shots. Bokeh is excellent. Love shadow work. Bryan

phlash46 Loc: Westchester County, New York

Great photos and history! My mothers great grandfather arrived in 1847 and is buried there.

billmck Loc: Central KY

Paul, I always enjoy your posts!

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Thank you Country Boy! I bought some expired film from anther UHH here recently and have been shooting almost only film since September. The rolls are starting to come back from developing and scanning. Glad you enjoyed.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Thank you Bryan! I don't normally shoot completely wide-open. Even here, these are all f/2 rather than wide-open for the lens. When I picked the morning, lens and film for this cemetery, several of these images / views are what I imagined and hoped to find.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Thank you Bruce! I've walked by this cemetery numerous times always thinking about when to come back with a camera. I'm hoping too for a foggy morning and a B&W visit. Great to hear of the family connection.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Thank you Country Boy, Bryan, Bruce, billmck! I've been on a cemetery tour of Chicago for the past several weeks, mostly with expired film. Glad you enjoyed these results.

FSATIN Loc: Westchester, NY

Only you can educate and inspire your viewers from inside a cemetery. Great work.

Tomfl101 Loc: Mount Airy, MD

I guess the expiration dates on film don’t mean much as long as it’s stored well. Fabulous work and commentary as usual Paul.

jdub82 Loc: Northern California

Great images and history!

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Thank you Tomfl101! When I get my next package back from developing and scanning, I'll be at 20ish rolls over the past few months, almost all expired color film. I've been buying expired film now for a few years, advertised as being stored in a freezer, arriving here to Chicago and going back into the freezer. It's not the same as 'fresh', benefitting from +1 stop to the meter's exposure. Several rolls seem to have a red cast as well, but that's easy to address in LR.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Thank you FSATIN! Chicago's cemeteries are all well outside the city center. These older ones from the 1800s were outside the city limits when first created. I've been fascinated by Hebrew Benevolent as it's the only cemetery I've found in Chicago where the look is less 'park' and more like the crowded cemeteries of the East and old Europe. Glad you enjoyed.

PixelStan77 Loc: Vermont/Chicago

Paul, Very interesting commentary and images. Thanks for sharing. I have that place on my bucket list. Undertand it can be muddy and in need of repair?