By Frances James (1922 – 2019)
There is a cemetery now known as the Tiferet Israel Cemetery in the 7700 block of Scyene Road. This is the third and newest cemetery in Dallas devoted exclusively to the burial of those of the Jewish faith. There are four cemeteries near this intersection of Scyene Road and west of Buckner Boulevard.
The current six acre Tiferet Israel Cemetery on Scyene Road was acquired in 1938 by the Congregation Agudas Achim and is a segment of Peter Colonist John S. Beeman’s Survey No. 100. At one time the title to this land was in the name of James Corbett. Mr. Corbett sold it to Dr. Ernest T. Cox, a Dallas dentist in 1919. Dr. Cox had an office on Elm Street in downtown Dallas. The Cox family home was on “Orphans Home Road” now recognized as Samuell Boulevard. Their stately white farm home was sold to Dr. James Terrill in 1917 to be used for the Timberlawn Psychiatric Hospital. This facility that remains on the campus is adjacent to Grove Hill Cemetery and was the first such treatment center to operate in this manner west of the Mississippi River.
After 1919, when the Cox family purchased the land on Scyene Road from Mr. Corbett they made plans to operate a cemetery. The Mt. Sinai Cemetery was incorporated under the laws of Texas and a small section was reserved as a private cemetery for the Cox family. This small section was later given to and merged into the Pleasant Mound Cemetery that had been established in 1868 adjacent on the east. Agudus Achim Congregation purchased the Mt. Sinai Cemetery in 1938 and changed the name.
In 1925 a small group of Orthodox Jews who lived in South Dallas organized the Congregation Agudas Achim. Religious Jews do not ride in vehicles on the Sabbath so a synagogue within walking distance was a must. The first president was M. Katz who lived at 2900 South Boulevard. The congregation built a synagogue at 1777 Forest Avenue (area now under Central Expressway and Highway 175) and when they needed a school, the structure designed by Lang & Witchell was added in 1930. Jonathon Abramowitz (1894-1970) had studied in Lithuania and became the first rabbi and stayed until he retired in 1951. Both Rabbi Abramowitz and his wife Freida are buried at Sheareth Israel.
The small congregation which never had more than 300 members declined as families moved to other sections of Dallas and the Park Cities area. The closing service was in 1957 and the synagogue property was sold. The money was given to Akiba Academy for future Hebrew Education.
In 1970 the beautifully maintained Agudas Achim Cemetery and all the burial records were turned over to Tiferet Israel who currently administers the site. There is a wrought iron fence across the front of this cemetery. Most of the markers have Hebrew writings on them and many have small stones left on top to signify someone has visited the site. There are no trees among the graves but three sides of the cemetery are surrounded by greenery. The drives on this hallowed ground are concrete and all the markers are in rows and upright. There is enough land available for future expansion.
Frances James, “Dallas County History – From the Ground Up, Book II,” 2009.
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