By Robin Jackson
About 15 people participated in Hadassah’s history walk on April 10. Hadassah Co-President Arlene Wiener led the tour that began at Main Street Station where walkers started with the Unbound 2019 exhibit and continued to the Richmond Slave Trail.
Participants walked to Church Hill where they saw the first Jewish cemetery in Virginia, located at 21st and Franklin Street, which was deeded by Isaiah Isaacs, the first Jew recorded to have settled in Richmond.
Today, the cemetery is surrounded by apartments, with a plaque to mark its existence. Also on the walk, participants saw the old Keneseth Israel Synagogue and the site of 17th Street Marketplace. Beautiful overviews of downtown were seen from Jefferson Park (an uphill climb). A final stop at Ironclad Roasters gave walkers a chance to chat over coffee.
Arlene will lead another walking tour of the Jackson Ward murals on Sunday, June 12 at 9 a.m. The walk for Hadassah members, spouses and friends will begin at 205 E. Marshall Street and explore the diversity of one of city’s most vibrant neighborhoods. Jackson Ward is often called The Harlem of the South.
Details will follow and be listed in Hadassah Happenings. For more information or to RSVP, contact Arlene at arlenewiener@comcast.net.
Here are a few more photos from the tour.
