There are more people than ever opting for cremations so cemeteries, particularly smaller ones like the Har Jedhuda Cemetery in Upper Darby, are struggling, writes Nate File for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Har Jehuda has been important for the region’s Jewish community since it was founded in the 1890s, with more than 20,000 graves.
These days, though, its grounds are overgrown, with several gravestones in disrepair.
“The reality is that there are not enough staff or funds to maintain the cemetery, and there hasn’t been for years,” Randi Raskin Nash, a member of the Friends of Har Jehuda Cemetery group, said by email.
Some cemeteries are reinventing themselves to stay solvent by diversifying their offerings.
“We’re an outdoor museum. We’re a sculpture garden, we’re an arboretum … we’re more than just a cemetery,” said Nancy Goldenberg, CEO of Laurel Hill Cemeteries in Philadelphia.
At Laurel Hill, visitors might take a history tour, watch a movie screening, attend a wedding, or meet with the official book club, Boneyard Bookworms.
The offerings build connections between people and the cemetery, making them more likely to contribute money or look there first for burial needs, Goldenberg said.
Read more about how cemeteries are adapting to an increase in less profitable cremations in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
