photo by: Contributed

Beni Israel Cemetery

The Lawrence Jewish Community Congregation will be hosting a tour of the historic Beni Israel Cemetery, which stands as the last trace of the pioneering Jewish community that helped found Eudora.

The tour will be held at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 7, at the cemetery, located at 1301 East 2100 Road in Eudora. According to a press release from the LJCC, the cemetery was recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 2013 and is one of just two Jewish cemeteries dating from Kansas’ pre-statehood territorial time.

The cemetery was established in 1858 by settlers who arrived in the area through the German Immigrant Settlement Company of Chicago. Since 1978, the LJCC has acted as the caretaker of the site.

At the event, David Katzman, KU professor emeritus of American and Jewish studies, will share insights into the history of the cemetery and tell the stories of notable individuals buried there.

As the Journal-World reported, a survey of 910 square meters of the historic section of the cemetery has recently been conducted using GPS, ground-penetrating radar and magnetometry to guide restoration efforts and potentially locate unmarked graves. The research was funded by an approximately $28,000, two-year grant from the Douglas County Heritage Conservation Council, which was awarded in 2024.

The funding has also been used for improvements at the cemetery, such as regrading the road, installing new signs, leveling and repairing headstones, adding a bench and offering two fall cemetery tours.

Before the event, people can gather at the LJCC, 917 Highland Drive in Lawrence, at 2:30 p.m. for refreshments and then carpool to the cemetery. The tour is free to attend, and attendees are invited to register for the event on the LJCC’s website.