An Indiana town had no Jewish cemetery. When its mayor died, it built one

An Indiana town had no Jewish cemetery. When its mayor died, it built one

When Marcus Levy died in Aurora, Indiana, in September 1871, the city gathered. Levy was 63 years old, a native of Prague, and the mayor of Aurora. After the upheavals of 1848, he left Europe and arrived in New York a stranger and without means before making his way west. He came to Aurora around 1855 and, over the years, served as city treasurer, county treasurer, school trustee, and then mayor at the time of his death. He was unmarried and die…

333 miles from St. Louis, a small town built a Jewish cemetery for its mayor

This story was originally published in the Forward. Click here to get the Forward’s free email newsletters delivered to your inbox. When Marcus Levy died in Aurora, Indiana, in September 1871, the city gathered. Levy was 63 years old, a native of Prague, and the mayor of Aurora. After the upheavals of 1848, he left Europe and arrived in New York a stranger and without means before making his way west. He came to Aurora around 1855 and, over the …