09/25/2025
Lansing Avenue Jewish Cemetery Focus of Federation's Fall Cleanup
Article reprinted with permission from Cleveland Jewish News.
by Jane Matousek
Volunteers gathered at Lansing Avenue Jewish Cemetery in Cleveland on Sept. 14 for the Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s Commission on Cemetery Preservation fall cemetery cleanup. CJN Photo / Jane Matousek
A warm, fall-like breeze and early-morning sun welcomed families and volunteers of all ages to the annual fall cemetery clean up at Lansing Avenue Jewish Cemetery in Cleveland on Sept. 14, hosted by the Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s Commission on Cemetery Preservation.
What would have been an otherwise quiet morning at the cemetery was instead full of life, as volunteers were greeted with snacks and water, outdoor equipment and familiar faces of the Jewish Volunteer Network and the cemetery commission.
Volunteers spread out across the cemetery and began trimming branches and overgrowth, weeding around headstones, raking leaves and even removing trees.
Nadler
The event not only is one of the highest forms of mitzvah, but also a positive approach to introducing children to a location that is typically related to grief, Amy Nadler, Jewish Volunteer Network chair, told the Cleveland Jewish News. “If a child can be exposed to what this is, before they have to deal with that (a time of grief), at least they’ve seen this before.”
The cemetery commission hosts two cleanups each year, one in the spring and one in the fall – both in Jewish cemeteries where the Jewish community no longer live and the synagogues associated with those cemeteries no longer exist.
“Preserving these cemeteries is a sacred responsibility – one that honors the past, unites the present and strengthens the future,” a handout at the event read.
The commission manages seven local Jewish cemeteries, spanning from Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery in Brooklyn, to Mount Olive Cemetery in Solon and out to Chesterland Memorial Park Cemetery in Chester Township, with others in between.
In addition to the annual cleanups, the Cemetery Preservation Campaign raises funds to support maintenance costs through the Commission on Cemetery Preservation endowment fund. Within the past year, the Federation has raised $3.1 million for the campaign.
The next event with the Jewish Volunteer Network, “Reverse Tashlich” will be its first partnership with the Cleveland Metroparks. The free, young family event with PJ Library, jHUB and Repair The Sea will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Sept. 29 at the South Chagrin Reservation’s Shadow Lake picnic area in Solon.
A natural resources manager at the Cleveland Metroparks will work with families to clean up the local waterway while learning about invasive species and caring for the environment. Additionally, attendees will read a story together about the High Holy Days and are invited to bring their own picnic dinner. Registration is required at rebrand.ly/d1b964.
