On May 28, 1961, the Kol Israel Foundation, a Cleveland organization of Holocaust survivors, dedicated a monument in remembrance of the attempted genocide against the Jewish people by Nazi Germany during World War II. It is believed to be one of the first of its kind in the United States. Human remains, ashes, and artifacts reclaimed from three concentration camps are buried beneath it. Surrounding walls bear the names of family members lost in the Holocaust and afterward who otherwise may not have a fitting grave, along with other inscriptions relating to significant historical events. The site is used for an annual commemoration ceremony between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur to recall the Holocaust and departed victims, in keeping with the Jewish tradition that graves are to be visited by mourners between the High Holidays to say Kaddish, the prayer for the dead.
