The cemetery was founded in 1729 (according to other data it happened in 1710). Later, in 1825 (1826) cemetery was expanded. During Jelgava massacres on July and August 1941 that took place recently after German invasion to USSR, all of Jewish population of Jelgava was killed (just 21 person survived) and the cemetery was abandoned. Later, in 1942, the Nazis removed and sold all tombstones and leveled the cemetery grounds. In early 90's Jewish community of Jelgava and city council erected the memorial stone to the Holocaust victims.