National Memorial & Commemoration
Kol Israel Foundation Holocaust National Memorial
Kol Israel Foundation takes great pride in the site now known as the Kol Israel Foundation Holocaust National Memorial. This site:
· Is the first memorial in the United States dedicated to remembering and honoring Holocaust victims.
· Provides Cleveland’s Holocaust Survivor community with a spot for reflection and solace.
· Serves as a permanent reminder of how intolerance, hate, and racism can lead to genocide.
The public is invited to visit the Kol Israel Foundation Holocaust National Memorial during cemetery hours Sunday through Friday.
Zion Memorial Park, 5461 Northfield Road, Bedford Heights, OH 44146
CREATION
The original structure, then known as the Kol Israel Holocaust Monument, was dedicated on May 28, 1961, just two years after Kol Israel was founded by a group of Survivors who settled in Cleveland. One of those Survivors, Morry Malcmacher, suggested building the nation’s first memorial dedicated to the six million Jews who were killed by the Nazis. It would also serve as a physical location to leave stones and recite kaddish (the Jewish memorial prayer) for loved ones whose final resting places were unknown.
Survivor Simon Fixler asked Joe Bramson, owner of Zion Memorial Park, if Kol Israel could build the memorial within the cemetery. Bramson donated land originally intended for 250 gravesites. Survivors Joe Greenspan and Sidney Simon excavated the land and Kotecki Family Memorials built the structure.
INITIAL FORM AND EXPANSION
The original 17-foot-tall obelisk is constructed of French granite and is capped by a Star of David. Flanking it are two large panels etched with separate images:
· A mother with two children about to be engulfed by flames.
· A man clutching a Torah about to be engulfed by flames.
The panels also include Hebrew and English inscriptions intended to memorialize victims and comfort Survivors.
A crypt is buried beneath the obelisk. It contains:
· The remains of Jewish martyrs murdered at the Auschwitz-Birkenau, Majdanek, and Bialystock concentration camps.
· Artifacts from Jewish martyrs killed at the concentration camps.
Granite knee walls surrounding the obelisk and panels were added in 1996. Engraved on the walls are the names of relatives who perished in the Holocaust as well as Survivors who have since passed. Family members who would like to add memorial names to the walls may call the Kol Israel office at 216.831.3754 for more information.
Inspirational quotes from Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower and Elie Wiesel also appear on the knee walls.
The site will soon undergo renovation/maintenance to preserve its integrity and beauty.
HONORS
The site’s prominence extends well beyond Cleveland’s Survivor community.
2017: It is awarded an Ohio Historical Marker, a distinction bestowed on select locations to denote important sites and contributions of communities across the Buckeye State.
2022: Through an Act of Congress and President Joe Biden’s signature, the site achieves national recognition and is officially renamed the Kol Israel Foundation Holocaust National Memorial. It gains the distinction of becoming the country’s first National Memorial connected to the Holocaust.
ANNUAL FALL MEMORIAL
An Annual Fall Memorial is held at the site on the Sunday between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. It is co-sponsored with the Jewish Federation of Cleveland. The moving program includes:
· Color-guard processional and recessional.
· Candle lighting in memory and honor of the six million martyrs, the Holocaust’s youngest victims, and the liberators.
· Remarks from the community.
· Prayers and kaddish.
BY THE NUMBERS
1 First monument in the United States dedicated to the six million martyrs and the first National Memorial connected to the Holocaust.
3 Concentration camps from which remains and artifacts were collected to bury at the base of the obelisk.
14 Width in feet of panels flanking the obelisk.
17 Height in feet of the obelisk.
62 Number of Annual Fall Memorials conducted at the site to date.
1600 Names inscribed on walls.
