Gates stolen from Montana’s oldest Jewish cemetery

The gates of a 159-year old Jewish cemetery in Helena were stolen sometime this week, likely on Tuesday evening, according to Home of Peace Cemetery.

The gates, which were attached to a stone archway, were removed from their hinges and taken, and Phil Grossberg, president of the cemetery’s board, said a report has been filed with the Helena Police Department. The department could not be reached for comment by press time Friday.

Pieces of the gate’s hinges were still on the ground Friday, and a metal that used to hold the gate into the stone is bent and twisted.

“It’s bizarre,” Grossberg said. “And it’s more that it’s very unsettling because it’s more than just gates. It’s a sacred place, of course, and there’s a lot of history there.”

The reasoning for the theft was difficult to determine, he said, and it was still early in the police investigation.

“It’s hard to figure out what their intent was, other than try and benefit from it in a monetary way,” Grossberg said.

The cemetery was established in 1867, and the gates were added in 1910, according to Home of Peace Cemetery. It’s also on the National Register of Historic Places. The fence around the cemetery is original to its 1867 establishment, according to Department of Interior documents.

“Many of the first Jews who came to Bannack and Virginia City moved on to Helena to establish businesses and families,” the register documents say. “Many of these pioneers are buried in the Home of Peace.” 

The cemetery is still active and holds burials, Grossberg said. It’s located adjacent to Capital High School and is also often used by people with dogs, which the cemetery allows, so long as people clean up after them, he added.

There’s a water tower and shed on the property, along with large, shady trees and numerous headstones.

The cemetery is offering a reward for the return of the gates and anyone with knowledge of the theft should reach out to the Helena Police department at 406-442-3233 or email [email protected].