10/06/2025
Kol Israel, Federation Fall Memorial Keeps Alive Holocaust Memories
Article reprinted with permission from Cleveland Jewish News.
by Ellie Evans
Holocaust survivors pose for a photo at Kol Israel Foundation’s Fall Memorial on Sept. 28 at Zion Memorial Park in Bedford Heights. Photo / Joe Pollack / Pollack Studio
The Kol Israel Foundation and the Jewish Federation of Cleveland held the 66th annual Fall Memorial on Sept. 28 to remember the 6 million Jews who died in the Holocaust at the Kol Israel Holocaust National Memorial at Zion Memorial Park in Bedford Heights.
The Fall Memorial has taken place each year on the Sunday between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur since 1959 when the monument was dedicated. Survivors, and their loved ones, gather at the memorial to remind community members of Jewish history and to educate young people about the Holocaust.
But, as antisemitism rises across the U.S. following Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, the annual commemoration’s goal of preventing history from repeating itself has taken on new meaning, according to Kol Israel Foundation president Deborah Chudakoff.
“It is mandatory that we remember,” Chudakoff told the Cleveland Jewish News. “We have to educate so history doesn’t repeat itself. It’s not just Holocaust education – it’s education regarding unfounded hatred of all types. We’re all taking different paths to the same destination.”
Chudakoff, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, addressed the crowd during the memorial, referencing the ongoing conflicts between Russia and Ukraine, and Israel and Gaza, as well as new threats to children’s safety in schools based on how they look or what they believe in.
“My mother’s story of survival is etched into my very being and into the heart of (Kol Israel’s) mission,” Chudakoff said. “She endured horrors that are impossible to understand. ... But hatred did not end in 1945. It continues to grow – building momentum, taking on new forms and fighting across generations. We tell these stories not only to honor those who perished and those who survived, but to awaken the conscience of today’s world, because memory must lead to action.”
The 2025 Fall Memorial consisted of a candle lighting for the 6 million murdered, where six candles were lit by Holocaust survivor Louise Gips; Joe Cala and Steve Cala, whose parents were Auschwitz survivors; Bradley Simon and Meghan Simon, grandchildren of a Holocaust survivor; Arnie Milner, a volunteer Holocaust educator; the Bramson family, community partners of the Kol Israel Foundation and part owners of Zion Memorial Park; and Bedford Heights Mayor Phillip Stevens for his support to Holocaust commemoration.
Great-grandchildren of survivors were invited to take part in the lighting of a seventh candle to “honor the memory of the one-and-a-half million children whose lives were tragically cut short during the Holocaust” and “take on an important role to remember their stories, stand up against injustice and work for a future where such darkness can never happen again,” according to Jordan Walman and Julie Kronenberg, third-generation Holocaust survivors.
Featured speaker was Rabbi Zushe Greenberg of Solon Chabad.
“As the generations are moving forward, it’s a time to concentrate on the positivity and good memories of the survivors, and even those who did not survive, to remember what they accomplished before, I believe this is something that can speak more to a younger generation in a way that excites them about continuing the memory of the Holocaust,” Greenberg said. “And when we think about remembering someone who experienced the Holocaust, the question is, ‘What are you going to do with this memory?’ It’s a call to action.”
Adam Rosen delivered remarks on behalf of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s community relations committee.
Cantor Vladimir Lapin of Congregation Mishkan Or sang, “Avinu Malkeinu,” “Psalm 23” and “El Malei Rachamim.”
An honor guard of Jewish war veterans was present. The event’s end was signaled by the exit of the color guard.
The Kol Israel Foundation Holocaust Memorial is recognized for being the first of its kind in the country. It received an Ohio Historical Marker in 2017 and became the Kol Israel Foundation Holocaust National Memorial in 2022.
