Our next Behind the Scenes Tour will be of the Etting Family Cemetery, the oldest Jewish cemetery in Baltimore. We will have a unique opportunity to see what lies behind the cemetery’s unassuming brick wall on North Avenue near Pennsylvania Avenue. Deb Weiner, research historian at the Jewish Museum of Maryland, who has investigated the cemetery and the Etting Family, will lead us through this tiny gem. Please join us to learn about this historic place that so many of us drive by and so few know anything about.

Etting Family Cemetery

1510 W. North Avenue, 21217
Thursday, August 11 | 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
$10/members, $15/non-members
RSVP for the tour today!

The Etting Family Cemetery is the oldest existing Jewish cemetery in Baltimore. Solomon Etting (1764-1847) came to Baltimore from York, Pennsylvania in 1790. Solomon was active in defending the city in the War of 1812. He made his fortune in hardware, shipping, and banking, and was one of the founders of the B&O Railroad. The first burial in what became the family cemetery was in 1799 when Solomon’s infant daughter Rebecca died. After this, the cemetery steadily filled to 25 graves. Among them is that of Zalman Rehine (c. 1756-1842). Rehine was reputed to be the first rabbi to come to America. The last internment was that of Solomon’s daughter Richea Gratz Etting (1792-1881). Over time, the cemetery has seen changes, including the replacement of marble tombstones (sometimes twice) as their inscriptions have been worn away. The Hebrew Burial and Social Services Society are the caretakers of the cemetery. Please join us and Deb Weiner from the Jewish Museum of Maryland to learn about a deeply rooted slice of Baltimore history through this inauspicious cemetery.