The Mordecai Sheftall Cemetery is a Jewish cemetery in

Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the British colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later t ...

. It is one of the oldest Jewish cemeteries in America. Located at the end of Coyle Street (a small turnoff of Cohen Street) in the Kayton/Frazier area of West Savannah, it is sometimes referred to as the Old Jewish Burial Ground, the Jewish Cemetery Memorial, the Jewish Community Cemetery or the Sheftall Cemetery. On November 3, 1761,

George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...

"conveyed a certain half lot of land in Holland Tything, Percival Ward, to David Truan." This land was at the northwest corner of today's

Bull Street Bull Street is a major street in Savannah, Georgia, United States. Named for Colonel William Bull (1683–1755), it runs from Bay Street in the north to Derenne Avenue (part of State Route 21) in the south. It is around 3.40 miles in length, ...

and

Oglethorpe Avenue Oglethorpe Avenue is a prominent street in Savannah, Georgia, United States. Located, in its downtown section, between York Street to the north and Hull Street to the south, it runs for about from the Atlantic Coastal Highway ( U.S. Route 17) ...

. Several Jews were interred here before the family cemeteries were established. A memorial, in the Oglethorpe Avenue median, marks the burial ground (known as Bull Street Cemetery) today, with a plaque stating: "Original 1733 burial plot allotted by James Edward Oglethorpe to the Savannah Jewish Community".

History

The founding date of the Mordecai Sheftall Cemetery is disputed; some sources claim that it was established in 1769. The cemetery was founded by

Mordecai Sheftall Mordecai Sheftall (December 2, 1735 – July 6, 1797) was a Georgia merchant who served as a colonel in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War and was the highest ranking Jewish officer of the Colonial forces. He was born in Sa ...

, a leader in the Savannah Jewish community, on 1.5 acres of a 5-acre tract of land granted to him and nine other trustees by

King George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great B ...

to be used as a Jewish cemetery and a synagogue.https://mickveisrael.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/149/2018/08/Historical-Cemeteries.pdf The cemetery was in use until the late nineteenth century, or a little over one hundred years. Today, it is still maintained by Mordecai Sheftall's trust. It is situated near the Levi Sheftall Family Cemetery, where much of the Sheftall, de Lyon and De La Motta families are buried.

Notable burials

, founder of the cemetery and highest-ranking Jewish

Officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," ...

in the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of ...

. * Abigail Minis, patriot *

Philip Minis Philip Minis (July 11, 1734 – March 6, 1789) was an American merchant, and the first white male born in the colony of Savannah, Province of Georgia. He went on to become paymaster to the Continental Army in Georgia during the American Revolu ...

, merchant

References

{{Reflist Jewish cemeteries in the United States Cemeteries in Savannah, Georgia Jewish cemeteries in Georgia (U.S. state) 1773 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state) Jews and Judaism in Georgia (U.S. state) Jews and Judaism in Savannah, Georgia Chatham County, Georgia