S.A.M. clarifies Houdini grave upkeep responsibilities

Matthew Crabtree, National President of The Society of American Magicians, has clarified who is responsible for the upkeep of Houdini's gravesite at Machpelah Cemetery, which, as I shared last week, is badly in need of cleaning. (Spoiler alert: it's not them.) Says Matthew:

In 2024, Dorothy Dietrich and Hank Feinberg started an nonprofit charitable LLC https://houdinigravesite.org/ and took over the care, upkeep, and restoration of the site. The LLC is working with the family to make sure it is done both legally and in accordance with Jewish traditions. It was at this time, they discovered that Houdini had left money for care and upkeep in perpetuity in his will to the cemetery.

The money for the Houdini Gravesite collected by The Society of American Magicians is earmarked to help offset the cost of repairs as voted on by the National Council in 2023.

With the information provided here, we would appreciate a clarification on your posting about the need for cleaning the site and who should be performing the upkeep.

Matthew Crabtree
National President
The Society of American Magicians 

This is a very helpful clarification, and it's great that Dorothy Dietrich is involved, as she has repeatedly demonstrated her devotion to maintaining the gravesite. The website for donations to the active Houdini Gravesite Fund can be accessed by clicking below.

Thank you, Matthew!

UPDATE: Good news! Dorothy Dietrich is on the case, and the grave will be cleaned very soon. Also, it's not in as bad a shape as the photos make it look. But it still needs a good cleaning, and it's going to get done. Dorothy also wants to arrange regular cleaning. Remember, if you want to contribute directly to the fund that does stuff like this, do so HERE.

UPDATE 2: Done! Houdini's grave is ready for its closeup

Thank you, Dorothy Dietrich and David Haversat.

Related:

• Houdini's grave badly needs a cleaning (S.A.M.)
• Houdini's grave is in trouble
• The Houdini-Weiss exedra turns 100