Early rabbis referred to a cemetery as a house of the living. Beloved promises to show you why.


Since its creation 173 years ago by one of Memphis, Tennessee’s earliest Jewish settlers, the Temple Israel Cemetery has become a permanent place of beauty. It serves as an everlasting tribute to the history of the Memphis Jewish community, and it
stands as a testament to the love of memory no matter where you live or where your loved ones rest.


Through the keen and artistic eye of photographer Murray Riss, the Temple Israel Museum was able to create an unforgettable photography exhibit entitled Beloved, which is also the word most often used on the cemetery’s gravesites. Murray Riss spent countless hours photographing Temple Israel’s sixteen-acre cemetery for more than a year and through all four seasons. Through these exquisite photographs, now everyone can experience the solemnity and beauty of this sacred ground.

Temple Israel Museum commissioned this book as well as the photographic exhibit of the Temple Israel Cemetery, Beloved, offering an amazing experience of the historic cemetery not often seen.

Photographs by: Murray Riss