09/19/2025
Kol Israel Foundation's Annual Fall Memorial Recalls Holocaust Victims, Honors Survivors
Kol Israel Foundation’s 64th Annual Fall Memorial, which honors and remembers the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust, will take place on Sunday, September 28, at 11 a.m. The commemoration, which is co-sponsored by Jewish Federation of Cleveland, is held yearly on the Sunday between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur at the Kol Israel Foundation Holocaust National Memorial, located inside Zion Memorial Park, 5461 Northfield Road, Bedford Heights. Parking is available directly across the street from the cemetery.
Six candles, representing the six million Jewish martyrs who perished in the World War II Holocaust, will be illuminated by Holocaust Survivor Louise Gips; second-generation descendants Joe Cala and Steve Cala; third-generation descendants Bradley Simon and Meghan Simon; educator Arnie Milner; community partners the Bramson Family; and Bedford Heights Mayor Phillip Stevens. The great-grandchildren of Survivors will light a seventh candle in memory of the Holocaust’s youngest victims.
Also participating in the commemoration will be Rabbi Zushe Greenberg of Solon Chabad, Cantor Vladimir Lapin of Congregation Mishkan Or, representatives of Kol Israel Foundation and Jewish Federation of Cleveland, Jewish War Veterans, the Shul Boys motorcycle group, and others.
“Jews traditionally visit the graves of loved ones during the High Holidays, so this is an appropriate time to come together as a community to reflect on the past, remember loved ones, and renew our commitment to sharing their Holocaust testimony,” said Mark S. Frank, Kol Israel Foundation Memorial Chair and the son of Survivors.
The Memorial was created in 1961 by Holocaust Survivors who settled in Cleveland. It contains ashes and artifacts from victims of three concentration camps. Names of Holocaust victims are inscribed on the Memorial’s walls and pillars. Last year, the site underwent a major renovation that included a resurfaced walkway featuring personalized pavers, the addition of six pillars, updated lighting, refreshed landscaping and new flagpoles.
For information about the Annual Fall Memorial, purchasing personalized pavers, or inscribing a loved one’s name, visit kifcle.org or call 216-831-3754.
