Our Mission

Makom Manitou is a Jewish cemetery in the Laurentian Mountains of Quebec, dedicated to honouring our dead and stewarding the land through sustainable, halachically rooted burial practices. Our mission is to provide a final resting place that upholds Jewish law and values, environmental responsibility, and the full diversity of the Jewish community.

Makom Manitou is an inclusive, egalitarian, and environmentally conscious non-profit Jewish cemetery, unaffiliated with any single synagogue or denomination. We welcome Jewish people across the full range of tradition and observance, non-Jewish spouses, and individuals of any faith or orientation who wish to be buried in a Jewish cemetery.

Our Values

1. Land Stewardship: We preserve the natural landscape and its ecological integrity, integrating the cemetery's design with its surroundings along the shores of Lac Manitou through careful design and long-term land management.

2. Sustainability and Conservation: We minimize our environmental footprint through water and energy conservation, waste reduction, and recycling. Where families choose them, we support options such as mycelium coffins, biodegradable shrouds, and reforestation efforts that restore the surrounding ecosystem.

3. Connection to Jewish Heritage: We uphold Jewish law, tradition, and ritual practice, providing continuity with Jewish burial custom while accommodating the range of interpretation and observance across the community we serve.

4. Inclusivity and Egalitarianism: We welcome the broader Jewish community and beyond, regardless of background, affiliation, or observance. The cemetery is designed to be accessible to all, without hierarchy among those it serves.

5. Education and Community Engagement: We advance public understanding of sustainable burial practices, their environmental impact, and Jewish funerary rituals through educational programming, workshops, and events, equipping our community to make informed end-of-life decisions.

Makom Manitou is committed to environmental stewardship, Jewish tradition, inclusivity, and community education, providing a final resting place that upholds the dignity of the deceased for generations to come.