The Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary is a
Jewish cemetery
A Jewish cemetery ( he, בית עלמין ''beit almin'' or ''beit kvarot'') is a cemetery where Jews are buried in keeping with Jewish tradition. Cemeteries are referred to in several different ways in Hebrew, including ''beit kevarot' ...
located at 6001 West Centinela Avenue, in
Culver City, California
Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. Founded in 1917 as a "whites only" sundown town, it is now an ethnically diverse city with what was called the "third-most ...
. Many
Jews
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
from the entertainment industry are buried here. The cemetery is known for
Al Jolson's elaborate tomb (designed by Los Angeles architect
Paul Williams), a 75-foot-high pergola and monument atop a hill above a water cascade, all visible from the adjacent
San Diego Freeway.
[Edmon J. Rodmon]
"You ain't heard Kol Nidre yet"
''Washington Jewish Week
''Washington Jewish Week'' (''WJW'') is an independent community weekly newspaper whose logo reads, "Serving the nation's capital and the greater Washington Jewish community since 1930." '', September 13, 2012.
History
Built on 35 acres of rolling hills in an undeveloped area near
Inglewood Inglewood may refer to:
Places
Australia
*Inglewood, Queensland
* Shire of Inglewood, Queensland, a former local government area
*Inglewood, South Australia
*Inglewood, Victoria
*Inglewood, Western Australia
Canada
* Inglewood, Ontario
*Inglewoo ...
, the cemetery was originally founded as
B'nai B'rith
B'nai B'rith International (, from he, בְּנֵי בְּרִית, translit=b'né brit, lit=Children of the Covenant) is a Jewish service organization. B'nai B'rith states that it is committed to the security and continuity of the Jewish peo ...
Memorial Park in 1941 by Lazare F. Bernhard and
Robert S. and
Harry Groman, founders of
Groman Mortuaries in 1936 and sons of
Charles Groman
Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was ...
, who co-founded the first licensed Jewish mortuary west of Chicago,
Glasband-Groman-Glasband, before it was renamed "Hillside Memorial Park" in 1942. Because of objections by the Inglewood Chamber of Commerce, they were not granted a permit to operate by the
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors until July 1943.
In 1951 the park became famous when
Al Jolson's widow, Erle, purchased a large plot and had erected a 75-foot-high domed monument in his memory. Thousands attended the dedication and service, which included a eulogy by
Jack Benny
Jack Benny (born Benjamin Kubelsky, February 14, 1894 – December 26, 1974) was an American entertainer who evolved from a modest success playing violin on the vaudeville circuit to one of the leading entertainers of the twentieth century wit ...
.
After a bitter legal dispute between the Groman brothers, and Robert's death in 1957, the park was acquired by
Temple Israel of Hollywood, which continues to own and operate it.
Jack Benny
Jack Benny (born Benjamin Kubelsky, February 14, 1894 – December 26, 1974) was an American entertainer who evolved from a modest success playing violin on the vaudeville circuit to one of the leading entertainers of the twentieth century wit ...
's funeral in 1974 included a eulogy by
Bob Hope
Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in more than 70 short and feature films, with ...
and was attended by over 2000 people, including dozens of well-known members of the entertainment community.
Major figures in the worlds of philanthropy, women's rights, law, education, medicine and religion are interred at Hillside, some of whom are listed
below
Below may refer to:
*Earth
* Ground (disambiguation)
*Soil
*Floor
* Bottom (disambiguation)
*Less than
*Temperatures below freezing
*Hell or underworld
People with the surname
*Ernst von Below (1863–1955), German World War I general
*Fred Below ...
.
Notable interments
See also
:Burials at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery
A
See also
*
Cemeteries in Los Angeles County, California
References
External links
Hillside Memorial Park official website*
Hillside Memorial Park: Famous namesat
Find a Grave
{{Culver City, California
Jewish cemeteries in California
Cemeteries in Los Angeles County, California
1941 establishments in California
Buildings and structures in Culver City, California