A garden was consecrated on Sunday at Glasgow’s Glenduffhill Cemetery as part of a restoration project at the 90-year-old site where more than 8,000 Jews are buried.

The restoration is being supported by a number of Glasgow charitable trusts, as well as individual donations. The new facility was formally opened by Ralph Strang, chair of Auld Acquaintances, a charity of former Glaswegian Jews, which has primarily funded the garden.

Rabbis Moshe Rubin and Aaron Lemberger of Giffnock and Newton Mearns Synagogue officiated at the ceremony.

Garden project convenor David Links said it provided “a tranquil space for visitors. It is hoped that the overall cemetery project will be completed by 2024 but this will depend on future funding.”

Mr Links said that around £500,000 of the £650,000 cost had either been donated or pledged. The project also included restoration work at the city’s Riddrie Cemetery.

He pointed out that the restoration committee had saved money by managing the workforce.
Glenduffhill was opened in 1933 by Scottish businessman and philanthropist Isaac Wolfson. It is the Glasgow Orthodox community’s main burial site and with around 3,000 spaces still available, should be more than sufficient for future needs.

Mr Links added that the Glasgow Hebrew Burial Society has been involved in the restoration of a number of other cemeteries in recent years, including Sandymount, Glasgow Necropolis and Eastern Necropolis, the latter sited at the rear of Celtic’s football stadium.