Temple Beth El’s Garden of Memories
Membership Has Its Privileges
You’ve heard the commercial, “membership has its privileges.” As a member of Temple Beth El, your membership entitles you to a great deal – meaningful worship services, lifelong Jewish learning and opportunities for tikkun olam. Another privilege we may not tout often enough is that TBE offers all its members in good standing a free gravesite, saving you thousands of dollars, a significant privilege of membership. Immediate family members who are unaffiliated with our Temple will be charged for a gravesite. In both instances, there is a one-time beautification fee payable to the Temple.
History
Our cemetery, which is located within the City of Fort Myers Cemetery, is formally called Temple Beth El Garden of Memories. You’ll find it just east of the River District at 3200 Michigan Avenue in Fort Myers. Purchased in three parcels from the city in the ᾽50s, ᾽60s and ᾽70s, the total number of gravesites is 240. It is the oldest Jewish cemetery and only temple owned cemetery in Lee County. Many of the early Fort Myers Jewish leaders and founders of our Temple are buried there.
Memorial Wall
A Memorial Wall was constructed and installed in the cemetery in the 2005. It provides Temple members a place where their loved ones buried elsewhere or cremated can be forever remembered and honored by having their names and dates inscribed on the wall.
Our cemetery, like all Jewish cemeteries worldwide, encapsulates every aspect of Jewish life and civilization. Occasionally referred to as beit olam, or “house of the eternal,” a cemetery represents the greatest collection of evidence of Jewish life, outside of a museum. Walking through a Jewish cemetery, one can appreciate the richness and diversity of Jewish people.
Every gravestone tells a story. Each individual interred in a Jewish cemetery, no matter their occupation or social status, or observance level played some role in underscoring the vitality of Jewish life in American. We owe it to our ancestors to ensure their eternal resting places are maintained with dignity. Moreover, we must ensure our dearly departed are properly memorialized with honor and without compromise.
Maintaining Jewish cemeteries fulfills the commandment of kavod ha-met, providing dignity to the deceased, and ensures the memories of our dearly departed are never obliterated. Twice a year a Service of Memory is held at the cemetery to pay respects to those buried there and unveil newly inscribed names on the Wall. This service takes place on the Sunday between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur as well as on the Sunday before Memorial Day.
Management
The cemetery is managed by a volunteer committee with the chairperson being a member of the Temple’s Board of Trustees. Recently our cemetery records have been computerized and an easy-to-use map created, which identifies occupied, reserved and available spaces. To honor, recognize and thank our military veterans, a granite bench will be installed and dedicated at this year’s Memorial Day service held at the cemetery.
Fees and cemetery-related expenses may be found in the literature rack located in the Temple lobby along with our newly designed marketing brochure.
Rather than wait until the time of need, many members find it helpful to make funeral and burial arrangements in advance and prepay the costs. If you wish to do so, please contact TBE’s office at 239.433.0018 or info@templebethel.com and a member of the committee will call you. Copies of the Garden of Memories Rules and Regulations and Fee Schedule are available upon request.
Karen Liberles, Chair
Garden of Memories Committee
Pam Arkin
Beverly Banks
Neal Frank
Max Liberles
Saul VanderWoude