Sanhedria Cemetery in Jerusalem: History and Visiting Guide

Sanhedria Cemetery lies in northern Jerusalem, close to the ancient burial caves known as Kivrei HaSanhedrin, the traditional tombs of members of the Sanhedrin. Though smaller than Har HaMenuchot, it is one of the most visited cemeteries in the city because of the many tzaddikim and Torah scholars buried there.

History of Sanhedria Cemetery

The cemetery was opened during the War of Independence, when the ancient Jewish cemetery on Har HaZeitim became inaccessible. From 1948 until the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967, Sanhedria served as one of the main burial grounds of Jewish Jerusalem, and many of the city’s rabbanim and residents from those years rest there.

Notable Graves

Among the Gedolim buried at Sanhedria is Rav Ovadia Yosef, zecher tzaddik livracha, whose grave draws visitors throughout the year. The cemetery also holds generations of Jerusalem families, both Ashkenazi and Sephardi.

Visiting Sanhedria Cemetery

Sanhedria is compact and densely built, with narrow paths between graves, so it helps to know the section and row in advance. Our team is familiar with the layout and can locate a grave from the name of the deceased and the date of passing.

Arranging a Minyan at Sanhedria from Abroad

If you cannot be in Jerusalem for a yahrzeit, we bring a full minyan of yeshiva students to the grave to say Kaddish, Tehillim and El Malei Rachamim, light a candle and send you photos and video by WhatsApp. See our guide to arranging Kaddish at a grave in Jerusalem from abroad and our free Tehillim by Name tool.

Ready to arrange a visit? Contact us and we will arrange everything at Sanhedria Cemetery.

See our packages: compare our Kaddish and graveside minyan services in Jerusalem, from a single yahrzeit visit to full-day kollel learning. Also read our guide to Har HaMenuchot.

Related guides: Tehillim at the grave · What happens when we visit a grave for you · How to find the yahrzeit date