Owners say there’s ‘no proposed sale’ of small Jewish cemetery in Chelsea
Head of charitable foundation moves to end speculation that Fulham Road burial ground would not be sold
The charitable foundation which owns a small Jewish cemetery in the heart of the West End has moved to end speculation that it was about to sell the plot to developers and move the remains to Israel.
The Western Charitable Foundation, which owns Fulham Road Cemetery in Chelsea, last year sought the approval of its sale from the London Beth Din.
However, in a letter sent from Dayan Gelley, Rosh of the Beth Din, the copy of which was approved by the Chief Rabbi, the Foundation’s trustees were given the clear message that the sale was opposed.
This week, in a bid to end speculation, the Foundation’s chairman Harold Pasha said: “I confirm that there is no proposed sale of the cemetery.”
He added: “The Trust will be continuing to look after and maintain the Fulham Road Cemetery within the terms of the Trust as it does with our other cemeteries at Cheshunt, Edmonton and Streatham.”
The one-acre cemetery, also known as Brompton Jewish Cemetery, has 250 graves and was bought in 1815 for £400 by Western Synagogue, one of the first Ashkenazi shuls outside the City of London and the first to preach in English.
It was closed in 1885, although burials in reserved graves continued until 1910, and the site is now believed to be worth millions of pounds. It is the only undeveloped plot on the road, which is prime West End real estate.
The Foundation is understood to have wanted to deconsecrate the ground and transfer the remains of those buried there to Israel, but the Beth Din poured cold water on the plans, saying there was no halachic justification to disturb the graves, as there was no strong public need.
In addition, the Chief Rabbi is understood to have been concerned about setting a precedent whereby developers in Central and Eastern Europe could pressure local Jewish communities to vacate unused cemeteries to build on the land.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
