The first mention of burial in Jewish tradition is in Vayera when Abraham buries Sarah. Through the Commission on Cemetery Preservation (COCP), a supporting foundation of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, Jewish Cleveland continues to recognize that honoring those who came before by caring for their final resting places is one of the highest mitzvot we can achieve.

Find out how Maury Greenstein is making an IMPACT! by volunteering.

There is no greater mitzvah (good deed) than caring for those who came before us.

Volunteers are needed for the Annual Fall Cemetery Cleanup hosted by the Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s Jewish Volunteer Network and the Commission on Cemetery Preservation (COCP).

“There is no greater mitzvah than honoring those who came before us.”

The recent vandalism of the Jewish cemeteries in St. Louis and Philadelphia saddened communities across the country. As we band together in support of our fellow communities we are reminded that our Jewish cemeteries need support not only in times of crisis but also 365 days per year.

I love a good cemetery.

Ed Singer has a strong emotional attachment to Lansing Cemetery, in Cleveland’s Slavic Village, as he has about 16 relatives buried there – including his parents and both sets of grandparents.

In just over one year, the Jewish Federation of Cleveland has raised close to $2.8 million for its Cemetery Preservation Campaign, putting them just $700k short of a $3.5 million goal to preserve Cleveland’s older Jewish cemeteries. The Federation asks all who are interested to donate to the community-wide campaign at www.jewishcleveland.org/cemetery.