Cemeteries 14: Anshei Sphard

Anshei Sphard Cemetery lies on the east side of Airways Blvd. across from the old Defense Depot. It was founded in 1907 by the Anshei Sphard congregation, whose home was on Market Square in the Pinch District (the Cook Convention Center now occupies what used to be Market Square). In 1948, the congregation moved to the northeast corner of North Parkway and Bellevue (now the City of Memphis' J.K. Lewis Senior Center) and in 1966 it merged with the Beth El Emeth congregation, which resulted in the construction of the current synagogue at 120 East Yates Road North.

The Bellevue Blvd. facade of the J.K. Lewis Senior Center at 1188 North Parkway still contains Stars of David above its doors.

These windows along the rear of the building also reveal the building's former status as the Anshei Sphard Synagogue.

But back to the cemetery...

The centerpiece of the cemetery is the Katzman Memorial Chapel, a handsome brick building with this stylish nameplate along its front facade.

During Jewish funerals, it is customary to wash your hands before leaving the cemetery. This fountain, which is directly at the entrance of the burial grounds sections of the cemetery as one approaches from the chapel, was constructed in memory of Abe and Malka Fogelman.

View of (going from right to left) Katzman Memorial Chapel, Abe and Malka Fogelman Fountain and burial grounds.

This memorial to Stephanie Namiot is one of the largest in the cemetery.

Final resting place of Ben P. Dlugach, founder of the Ben P. Dlugach Construction Company and member of a prominent Memphis family that has been building and developing in the city for more than 120 years.

The 1920 Building Committee installed this tile mosaic recognizing its members. Interestingly, it was placed in a curvilinear section of sidewalk. Temple Israel Cemetery has a similar tile marker embedded in one of its sidewalks (see post).

This marker for the Felt family, like the one for the Cooper family below, contains a rounded-edge design evocative of the Art Deco era.

The Kohanim are Jewish priests who are direct descendants of Moses' brother, Aaron. Leviticus 21:1 prohibits a Kohen from coming into close contact with a corpse, so Orthodox Cemeteries contain fences such as this to maintain at least a four-tefach distance (or 12.59 inches) from the graves.

On the left is the final resting place of Nat Buring and his wife, Rose Mary Buring. Mr. Buring was the founder of the King Cotton Meat Co. and one-time owner of the Memphis Chicks.