Jewish Historical &
Genealogical Society of WA

JHGS-WA Projects

East Perth Cemetery

The first Jewish person to be buried at the East Perth cemetery was David Joseph in 1867. The Jewish portion of the burial ground was established upon the request of Abraham Rosenberg, Isaac Harris, and Henry Seeligson, all former convicts1.

The cemetery fell into disuse after the establishment of Karrakatta in 1899. Unfortunately, the majority of the Jewish headstones at East Perth Cemetery deteriorated, and many of the records were not retained.

Through the extraordinary work of Rose Raymen for the Jewish Historical & Genealogical Society of WA, a list of burials for the period 1867 to 1899 is now available. Data for the period prior to 1888 is incomplete.

A new plaque was installed, and a re-dedication service was held on 10 December 2017.

  1. David Mossenson, East Perth Cemeteries https://eastperthcemeteries.com.au/index.php/explore/stories-and-people/94-jewish-cemetery-at-east-perth ↩︎
Jewish Memorial at the East Perth Cemetery
Jewish Memorial at the East Perth Cemetery; photograph by Peter Kesacoff

1934 ‘Say it in Print EAST PERTH CEMETERY’, The Westralian Judean (Perth, WA : 1924 – 1925; 1929 – 1955), 1 July, p. 13. , viewed 07 July 2025, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article260742171

List of known Jewish burials at East Perth Cemetery

  • David JOSEPH, 1 May 1867, 38 years
  • Abraham MICHAEL, 30 July 1879, 77 years 
  • John Jacob HARRIS, 29 July 1890, 34 years
  • Charles COHEN, 27 February 1892, 1 year 9 months (parents Morris & Sarah COHEN)
  • Moritz WERTHEIMER, 14 July 1895, 45 years
  • Gertrude LAZARUS, 24 January 1896, 41 years 
  • * Herman SALOMONS, 27 October 1896, 59 years
  • * Charles Gustus Israel COHEN, 8 October 1896, 3 years 4 months (parents Samuel Hyman & Jessie COHEN)
  • * Abraham KOTT, 5 October 1896, 29 years
  • * Louis Hyam SEELIGSON, 1 September 1896, 5 months (parents Louis & Lily SEELIGSON)
  • Woolf ZUKERMAN, 14 October 1896, 11 months (parents Nathan & Jane ZUKERMAN)
  • Gabriel COHEN, 12 January 1897, 73 years
  • Arthur LEVY, 24 February 1897, 34 years
  • Dorothy KOTT, 23 March 1897, 7 months (parents Edward & Amelia KOTT)
  • Miriam ZUKERMAN, 13 May 1897, 3 weeks (parents Nathan & Jane ZUKERMAN)
  • Louis ISRAEL, 16 June 1897, 40 years
  • Stillborn baby, 1897 (parents Nahum & Gertrude FERSTAT)
  • Rose SHEINBERG, 07 November 1897, 5 years (parents Aron & Annie SHEINBERG)
  • * Bernard Phillip KENSLER, 20 April 1897, 13 months (parents Solomon & Rachel KENSLER)
  • Eva FINGLESTEIN, 07 December 1897, 14 months (parents Morris & Elizabeth FINGLESTEIN)
  • Evelyn Muriel FEIN, 04 April 1898, 9 weeks (parents Barnett & Ethel Maud Jessie FEIN)
  • Louis DE STERKE, 2 May 1898, 56 years   
  • * Barnett FEIN, 14 June 1898, 34 years
  • Moses SCHWARTZ, 20 August 1898, 14 months (parents Manakim & Rachel Leah SCHWARTZ)
  • * Lipman KAUFMAN, 13 November 1898, 39 years
  • * Eric Abraham JOSEPH, 28 November 1898, 1 month (parents Horace Belmore & Florence Beena JOSEPH)
  • Unnamed female, 19 December 1898, 1 day (parents Emmanuel & Leah MENDELSSOHN)
  • Lina MANDELSTAM, 12 April 1899, 58 years
  • Solomon ZUCKERMAN, 20 May 1899, 5 weeks (parents Nathan & Jane ZUKERMAN)
  • Joseph LEVY, 10 September 1899, 84 years
  • Louis GERWIN, 21 September 1899, 40 years
  • Unnamed male, 23 September 1899, 2 days (parents Marcus & Sarah LOBASCHER)

* Original headstones restored and incorporated in the Memorial

Perth Jewish Cemetery Burials 1867 - 1899 Plaque

The eight recognisable remaining headstones, and the new memorial, were relocated to a new Jewish area at East Perth Cemetery.

Jewish Cemetery at East Perth

Index of Jewish burials at East Perth

Jewish Cemetery at East Perth

Rededication

The rededication was held on Sunday 10 December 2017, with many dignitaries, family and friends attending.

The identities of another 23 Jews buried in the WA National Trust’s historic Cemetery Hill in East Perth have been discovered and their names added to a plaque on the Jewish Memorial Cemetery pyramid in Plain Street, East Perth, bringing the total known pre-1900 Jewish burials to 32. Where possible, the gravestones have also been relocated to the site.

Michelle Urban, OAM, Vice President of the Jewish Historical & Genealogical Society of WA, explained how the 23 additional names were uncovered as a result of a single query to the society by Karen Wertheimer and her late sister Judy Earnshaw, who had asked for help to find records of their paternal great-grandfather Moritz Wertheimer.

Society researcher, Rose Raymen, spent much time investigating and making discoveries on the name of WERTHEIMER. She was able to deduce that his name had been misspelt in a death record and hence set the record straight; subsequently further investigation led to the discovery of the other names.

Photograph by Peter Kesacoff
Jewish Memorial at the East Perth Cemetery
Jewish Memorial at the East Perth Cemetery; Photograph by Peter Kesacoff

Rabbi Dovid Freilich recited Psalms 103 and 23 and the mourner’s Kaddish in Hebrew and in English, including a special Kaddish for Moritz. With his usual sensitivity Rabbi Freilich added that most people had their deeds as their memorial but, “Here for many there is no family… We have these names where that situation does not exist.” He continued, “We are saying – you matter… Some have the
distinction of being convicts… it has caused us to do research and in doing so we are honouring their memory.”

The ceremony concluded with observations and thanks from Mr Max Kay, President of the National Trust of Western Australia.

Words by Charmaine Ryan