About Us

Mount Carmel Cemetery in Lincoln, Nebraska is a traditional Jewish burial place, operated and maintained by dedicated volunteers, offering burial services to any Jewish individual.

As a proud member of the Nebraska Jewish Historical Society, Mount Carmel Cemetery is a significant landmark that provides a final resting place for the Jewish community, supported in part by the generous funding of the Staenberg Family Foundation Anything Grant.

Location: 4225 N 14th Street, Lincoln, Nebraska 68521

The cemetery is located near North 14th and Elba Streets in Lincoln, Nebraska. Please use the map below for directions.

Interesting Facts

• Visual Impressions: A study of the cemetery revealed a crowded layout separated by a central road, a high prevalence of red or pink granite monuments, and a dense concentration of Hebrew characters and Judaic motifs.
• Marker Statistics: Of the 537 gravestones representing 534 people at the time of the study, 63% were larger, upright monuments and 37% were flat markers. Additionally, 47% of the memorials were made of red or pink granite.
• Hebrew Inscriptions and Judaic Art: Local monument companies use templates (typically drafted and proofread by rabbis for accuracy) to engrave Hebrew letters and Jewish symbols. About 72% of the gravestones contain Hebrew inscriptions or Judaic symbols, and 91% of the people buried are associated with these elements.
• Inscription Languages: The language breakdown of the gravestones is 65.9% bilingual (English and Hebrew), 32.7% English only, 1% Hebrew only, 0.2% bilingual (English and Yiddish), and 0.2% uninscribed.
• Traditional Information: Orthodox tradition dictates that inscriptions include the deceased's Hebrew name, their father's name, the Jewish calendar date of death, priestly status (for males), and formulaic Hebrew abbreviations like "Here lies" and "May his/her soul be bound up in the bond of eternal life". Many graves also note if a person died on the Sabbath or a religious holiday.
• English Inscriptions: Inscriptions in English are typically brief, detailing names, Gregorian dates, and family relationships, though several longer English epitaphs date to the 1960s and 1970s. Eight government-provided veteran stones feature Stars of David alongside military details.
• Artistic and Judaic Motifs: Gravestones feature common secular designs (such as flowers and leaves) alongside prominent Jewish symbols. Stars of David are typically associated with men, while menorahs are associated with women. Specific priestly symbols include raised hands for the Kohanim and a pitcher/basin for the Levites.
• Atypical Practices and Customs: Despite strict Orthodox traditions, some gravestones feature attached photographs of the deceased. Visitors also participate in the long-standing Jewish custom of placing small pebbles on tombstones to honor the dead. Since 2018, volunteers have also placed metal military markers next to all veterans' headstones.

Our staff has a strong commitment to serving the many constituents of our organization. But first and foremost, they focus their energies on those who take advantage of our programs and services.

Our board represents a cross-section of our community and has a passion for our organization and those we serve. The members work hard to ensure long-term sustainability of the organization and oversee that the funds raised directly affect those in need.