First Jewish site in Los Angeles
Introduction


The **First Jewish site in Los Angeles** is a first [Jewish](/wiki/Jewish "Jewish") [cemetery](/wiki/Cemetery "Cemetery") in the [City of Los Angeles](/wiki/City_of_Los_Angeles "City of Los Angeles"), opened in 1855 by [Hebrew Benevolent Society of Los Angeles](/wiki/Bereavement_in_Judaism%23Communal_responses_to_death "Bereavement in Judaism#Communal responses to death"), the first charitable organization in Los Angeles. The First Jewish site in Los Angeles was designated a [California Historic Landmark](/wiki/California_Historic_Landmark "California Historic Landmark") (No. 822\) on Jan. 26, 1968\. The First Jewish site in Los Angeles is located at [Chavez Ravine](/wiki/Chavez_Ravine "Chavez Ravine") in Los Angeles in [Los Angeles County](/wiki/Los_Angeles_County "Los Angeles County"). In 1902 the cemetery was moved, a California Historic Landmark is at the place of the original cemetery. [Cal, Parks Marker, 822, First Jewish site in Los Angeles](http://ohp.parks.ca.gov/ListedResources/Detail/822)
The Hebrew Benevolent Society of Los Angeles was founded in 1854 for the purpose of "…procuring a piece of ground suitable for the purpose of a burying ground for the deceased of their own faith, and also to appropriate a portion of their time and means to the holy cause of benevolence…,". The Hebrew Benevolent Society of Los Angeles received the deed to land from the [Los Angeles City Council](/wiki/Los_Angeles_City_Council "Los Angeles City Council") on April 9, 1855\. With this land they established the first Jewish cemetery in Los Angeles at Lilac Terrace and Lookout Drive in Chavez Ravine. The site is now the current site of [Dodger Stadium](/wiki/Dodger_Stadium "Dodger Stadium") and the [Los Angeles Fire Department](/wiki/Los_Angeles_Fire_Department "Los Angeles Fire Department")'s [Frank Hotchkin Memorial Training Center](/wiki/Frank_Hotchkin_Memorial_Training_Center "Frank Hotchkin Memorial Training Center"). 

In 1902, because of poor environmental conditions due to the unchecked expansion of the oil industry in the area, it was proposed by Congregation B'nai B'rith to secure a new plot of land in what is now [East LA](/wiki/East_Los_Angeles%2C_California "East Los Angeles, California"), and to move the buried remains to the new site, with a continued provision for burial of indigent people. This site, the [Home of Peace Cemetery](/wiki/w:Home_of_Peace_Cemetery_%28East_Los_Angeles%29 "Home of Peace Cemetery (East Los Angeles)") in [East Los Angeles](/wiki/East_Los_Angeles%2C_California "East Los Angeles, California").   remains operational and is the oldest Jewish cemetery in Los Angeles. The original society is now known as the "Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles". Solomon Lazard, a Los Angeles merchant, served on the Los Angeles City Council in 1853, and also headed the first Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce.


Why was the cemetery moved in 1902?