Visiting the graves of loved ones in the days leading up to the High Holidays is a sacred tradition, but for many New Yorkers, actually getting to a cemetery in Long Island, Queens, or New Jersey can be a nearly insurmountable task.  

For the past 15 years, the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, a UJA partner agency, and Plaza Jewish Community Chapel have teamed up to provide comfortable transportation to Long Island, Queens, and New Jersey cemeteries to make visiting the graves of friends and family members less of a struggle. (Plaza also partners with DOROT, another UJA-supported nonprofit, for visits during the summer months.) 

The rides, available to approximately 25 cemeteries, are free of charge to participants. As of this year, the partnership will have resulted in more than 500 cemetery visits. 

“It’s a great service to us elders who would like to maintain these connections to those who’ve gone on,” says one JCC participant. 

Visitors are taken directly to the graves of their loved ones in cars provided by Plaza, and all are accompanied by a clergy member. They are given stones to place on the graves, memorial candles, and a copy of prayers to say if needed. “This service allows us to take the stress out of these moments to ensure that they are sacred ones,” says Stephanie Garry, executive vice president of Plaza Jewish Community Chapel. “Cemetery visits are a hallmark of the work we do.” 

Four years ago, inspired by this partnership, Riverdale Y, another community center in the UJA network, began offering members of its community cemetery visits through its Older Adult Center. In the time since, using the Y’s van, the Center has brought nearly 40 visitors over three days each year to cemeteries outside of the city in the week before Rosh Hashanah. 

The cemetery visits reflect the remarkable range of ways UJA-supported JCCs serve their communities. Alongside exercise classes and learning opportunities for people of all ages, they help New Yorkers sustain Jewish traditions that might otherwise slip out of reach.

Rabbi Brian Fink, of the JCC’s Wechsler Center for Modern Aging, calls the program with Plaza “a gift for our community members. Navigating travel across New York cemeteries presents a real challenge, and our participants are deeply grateful for the pastoral support, communal connection, and dedicated service that makes these visits possible.” 

Find Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services and more on our High Holiday Hub >