Source:Jordansavanne, Suriname. Beth Haim Cemetery at Jodensavanne in 1946

In 1943-46, during the Second World War, a group of war internees carried out a cleanup and research programme at the Jodensavanne. They made a complete inventory of the Beth Haim Cemetery, and produced an accurate map. They tried to decipher as many stones as possible, but failed in most cases, as their knowledge of Portuguese and Hebrew was limited. In all, 59 of the 436 graves were partially deciphered. Nonetheless, their efforts resulted in a 1948 research article by Fred Oudschans-Dentz, which is still the leading source of information on the cemetery.

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