Throughout the cemetery one can find a variety of monuments. Each displays a concise epitaph, often adorned with a traditional or personalized motif, aiming to provide a glimpse into the life of those buried before it. Some are clear, fresh, and legible; others, however, are eroded by weather and time, their messages at times obfuscated by lichen and moss.
Lichen covered gravestone at the Jewish cemetery. Photo: E. McGuire
The tasks that make up our fieldwork require us to approach each monument with a keen, analytical eye. I have found working with such close attention to these historical features to be intriguing, often enticing further research into the diverse individuals described by their headstone. It is especially interesting to employ the modern technology often involved with archaeological fieldwork—most notably RTI (reflectance transformation imaging) which can unveil the wear and decay of monuments’ epitaphs, that make their messages otherwise invisible.
As we learn more about the history of the Emanu-el congregation, and Judaism on Vancouver Island in general, working within the cemetery is an exploration into a unique narrative, spanning three centuries, revolving around and integral to the formation of modern British Columbia. Our efforts to map and detail the monuments of this salient, albeit largely overlooked, narrative is humbling when one considers what such efforts may contribute to its longevity.
Working in an area of land dedicated to keeping those who have passed on, one would expect to find a somber, sorrowful rows of late local citizens; and yet instead we find monuments lively with decorative designs, abundant in smooth stones left as tokens of love from numerous visitors. Here we find we are working with a site rife with history, but not one distinct from our own. While we engage in fieldwork researching the past, the same site will change and continue to welcome new additions to its serene expanses—further thickening the rich narrative of Jewish history in Victoria.
Smooth stones left at a grave in the Jewish cemetery. Photo: E. McGuire