Hebrew Rest

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. Jews settled in Waco back in the 1850s, and from those early roots something lasting would grow. By 1869, the community had organized itself into the Hebrew Benevolent Association, formed with two clear purposes: to assist those in need, and to ensure that when a member of the community passed on, they would be laid to rest in accordance with the laws and rites of Judaism.

That same year, 1869, the Association acquired this very property to serve as a Jewish burial ground. They gave it a name that carried both dignity and peace. They called it Hebrews' Rest.

Now, the first soul to be interred here was not a community elder or a prominent businessman. It was a child. An eighteen-month-old infant named Bessee Lyans, buried in July of 1869.

You sit with that a moment. A community that had just organized itself, just claimed this ground, and the first test of their purpose came in the form of the smallest possible loss. The cemetery grew over the years, with additional land purchased in 1893 and again in 1922, expanding to meet the needs of a growing community.

And today, within these grounds rest many of the early leaders of Waco's Jewish community, and prominent Wacoans besides. This place started with an act of care and a child's name. That's what Hebrews' Rest is built on.

What the marker says

Jews settled in Waco in the 1850s. In 1869 the Hebrew Benevolent Association (HBA) was formed to assist the needy and provide interment in accordance with the laws and rites of Judaism. That year, the HBA acquired this property as a Jewish burial ground. It was named Hebrews' Rest. The first burial was of an 18-month old infant, Bessee Lyans, in July 1869. Hebrew Rest Cemetery was enlarged with purchases of additional land in 1893 and 1922. Many early leaders of Waco's Jewish community and prominent Wacoans are interred here.