Las Vegas, New Mexico

A pamphlet in the UA Library's Special Collections tells an historic story of the founding of the Montefiore cemetery in Las Vegas, New Mexico, in 1881 by Jewish pioneers. The cemetery is described as a mute testimony of Jewish presence in New Mexico since the European colonization in the 1500's. The story is told in photographs. There is also a plan and inventory of memorials. Contact Special Collections for more information.

Congregation Montefiore was the first Jewish congregation in New Mexicio. Formed in 1884, it held dedication services on September 26, 1886 and formed New Mexico's second B'nai Brith chapter in 1902.

One may notice that in Albuquerque, a congregation followed the formation of a B'nai Brith Lodge, where as in Las Vegas, the congregation came first. Tobias noted that Las Vegas had a much larger and more established Jewish population by 1880 than Albuquerque. As a result, there was a greater family structure in place and more children needing formal religious education.

In October 1884, the Jewish community in Las Vegas formed a congregation and Joseph Glueck became its rabbi. In January 1886, the congregation began an appeal for a building fund and drew pledges from the members. Interestingly, Tobias wrote that half of the those pledging donations came from non-members. By the summer of 1884, a contract was signed with architects for a building and services were held dedicating the building on September 20, 1886. The congregation took the name Congregation Montefiore after Sir Moses Montefiore, the world famous British philanthropist.

A Hebrew Ladies Benevolent Society was founded, perhaps as early as 1887, and its by-laws written in 1895. As noted earlier, the men formed a B'nai Brith chapter, Lodge No. 545, in 1902. [Tobias, HJNM:111-112]