GIBRALTAR JEWISH CEMETERIES
Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory and city located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Bay of Gibraltar, near the exit of the Mediterranean Sea into the Atlantic Ocean (Strait of Gibraltar). It has an area of 6.8 km2 (2.6 sq mi) and is bordered to the north by Spain (Campo de Gibraltar). The landscape is dominated by the Rock of Gibraltar, at the foot of which is a densely populated town area, home to around 34,000 people, primarily Gibraltarians.
Gibraltar has had a Jewish Community (See more) dating from the fourteenth century.
The first record of Jews in Gibraltar comes from the year 1356, under Muslim rule, when the community issued an appeal asking for the ransom of a group of Jews taken captive by barbary pirates. Jews were expelled from Spain under the Alhambra decree of 1492, effectively ending all Jewish activity there.
Starting in the early 18th century, after the 1704 capture of Gibraltar, Jewish merchants from Tetuan in Morocco were encouraged by the British to come to Gibraltar with provisions of fresh fruit.
This marked a continuous Jewish presence from that date until today.
North Front Cemetery (Current)
An old Jewish Cemetery, used up until 1848, tucked away behind the trees, a fascinating piece of history that reflects the important role the Jewish people have played in moulding Gibraltar’s history.
Jews Gate Cemetery
Jews’ Gate Cemetery is a Jewish cemetery located on the upper rock, within the nature reserve in Gibraltar. Also known as the Windmill Hill Cemetery, it is the site of the earliest known Jewish burials in Gibraltar. The cemetery opened by 1746 and closed in 1848. It is the burial site of a number of Gibraltar’s Chief Rabbis. The graveyard is protected by the law of Gibraltar.
It is tucked away behind the trees, a fascinating piece of history that reflects the important role the Jewish people have played in molding Gibraltar’s history.
