The Agudath Achim Sherbooke Jewish Cemetery is the final resting place of approximately 129 Jewish individuals including families who arrived as early as the 1890s, many from Ostropol and Novograd-Volhynia in what was then the Russian Empire (today Ukraine).

The community-built businesses, raised families, and contributed to Sherbrooke’s cultural and commercial landscape. At its peak in the early 20th century, the Jewish community of Sherbrooke numbered in the hundreds, sustaining congregations, social organizations, and vibrant communal life.

Though the community has since dispersed over the years, the cemetery remains a lasting symbol of that history—an anchor of memory in the Eastern Townships.

A New Chapter of Stewardship

Baron de Hirsch-Back River Cemeteries Inc., Quebec’s oldest and largest Jewish cemetery organization with more than 135 years of service, is pleased to announce that it has now assumed administrative oversight of the Agudath Achim Sherbrooke Jewish Cemetery. With two historic cemeteries already under its care in Montreal at the de la Savane and Back-River locations, Baron de Hirsch brings established expertise, dedicated infrastructure, and a deep commitment to preserving Jewish burial grounds in accordance with Halachic principles.

This transition ensures that all three cemeteries, now united under one organizational banner, benefit from the same standards of dignity, professionalism, and long-term maintenance.

 

“It is a privilege for Baron de Hirsch-Back River Cemeteries to help safeguard the Agudath Achim Sherbrooke Jewish Cemetery. This site carries more than a century of history and the memories of families who helped build Jewish life in Quebec. By bringing Sherbrooke under our stewardship, we are honouring that legacy and ensuring that these sacred grounds continue to be cared for with the same dignity, respect, and expertise that all our cemeteries benefit from,” shares Brandon Blant, Baron de Hirsch’s president.

 

For decades, the Sherbrooke Jewish Cemetery has shown remarkable dedication to care, ensuring it remained well-tended even as the local population declined. Jonathan Wise, Executive Director of Baron de Hirsch, adds, “Historic local community members like Ari Vineberg exemplify this legacy of devotion. His long-standing involvement and leadership helped sustain the cemetery and preserve not just the memory of his own family but the memory of all of those buried there. We thank him and the others before him and are honoured to build upon that foundation to carry this responsibility forward.”

Those looking to secure burial plots at the Sherbrooke Jewish cemetery should contact Baron de Hirsch-Back River Cemeteries at 514-735-4696  or [email protected].