Annual Report 2012
September 30th marks the end of our fourth full year of operating as JCGC. It was an eventful year. Most important was the purchase of 23 acres of land for a new cemetery on Loveland-Miamiville Rd, about a mile from the Ward’s Corner exit on I -275. We were fortunate to have the Jewish Foundation add to their already generous support to JCGC by providing the funding for about 60% of the purchase price. We hope to start developing the property in the next couple of years.
Our Marketing Committee was busy with a number of projects, the most noteworthy being the addition of section signage to the Walnut Hills cemetery. The signage will help visitors better navigate the cemetery and adds a nice look to this 162 year old cemetery. We also participated in the Federation’s Give-A-Day and Community Wide Learning days.
We took on a number of major repair projects, including our continuing program of repairing older monuments and foundations in the Price Hill cemeteries, primarily Schachnus and Love Brothers. At the Covedale cemeteries, we removed the chapel, which had fallen into disrepair and was no longer in use. At the behest of the City of Cincinnati, we repaired the Montgomery Rd. sidewalk outside the Walnut Hills cemetery.
Our financial health is good. We sold a record number of grave sites this year, which resulted in the highest revenues of any of our four years. We continue to keep expenses down. As a result, our operating results consistently have been better than what was forecast in the initial projections made when JCGC was being formed.
When JCGC was formed in 2008, each of the 22 contributing cemetery owners was given a limited option at the end of three years to withdraw from JCGC, if certain financial tests to assure the long-term viability of the merged organization, were not met. The three years have passed, we met the tests, and all of the original JCGC cemeteries are pleased to be continuing as part of our organization, contributing to a healthy future for JCGC.
Most importantly, we are fortunate to have the support of our partners: The Jewish Foundation, The Jewish Federation, the rabbinic community, the Friends of JCGC, the community volunteers who helped launch the project and our Board and committee members. Our success is due to the collective efforts and foresight of this group and reflects the strong commitment to community that exists in Cincinnati’s Jewish community.
