Rabbi Joshua L. Segal, will speak about the evolution of cemetery history in the American Jewish community has been driven by two forces: changes in the cemetery and burial practices in America, and the gradual acculturation of American Jews. These forces have exerted more influence than either Jewish customs (min-hag) or Jewish law (Halakhah). The first Jewish cemeteries in America followed a pattern of evolution similar to that in non-Jewish cemeteries. Backyard burials were replaced by colonial cemeteries which in turn were replaced by rural cemeteries and park cemeteries.