Seniors to visit Delco cemeteries

DELAWARE COUNTY

Seniors to visit cemeteries

Senior citizens from Northeast Philadelphia will be able to make a special trip to three Jewish cemeteries in Delaware County to visit the graves of loved ones.

KleinLife, formerly known as Klein JCC, is to sponsor the trip on Thursday. The group offers social, educational, cultural, human service, and wellness programs.

"Many of our area's aging seniors no longer drive nor do they have family members or friends available to escort them privately," said Shelley Geltzer, program director. Sixty years ago, many Jewish families from Philadelphia purchased family cemetery plots in the western suburbs, she said.

The three cemeteries are Mt. Jacob Cemetery, 700 W. Oak Lane in Glenolden; Mt. Sharon Cemetery, 500 E. Springfield Rd. in Springfield; and Mt. Lebanon Cemetery, 1200 Bartram Ave. in Collingdale.

The trip has been filled for more than a month, and there is a waiting list, Geltzer said. Because of the popularity, the group is considering offering the trip twice a year.

"Without us offering this opportunity, they would just not get to these cemeteries," Geltzer said.

- Mari A. Schaefer.