Fir Street Cemetery
The Liberty Aid and Hungarian Aid societies founded Fir Street Cemetery along with the Chebra Kadisha who then sold it to B'nai Abraham. This is the second-oldest Jewish cemetery in Cleveland.
Stuart Deicher, Executive Director, Park Synagogue
The cemetery has three sections:
- East (near West 58th) Heights Jewish Center
- Center Hungarian Aid Society
- West (near West 61st) Anshe Emeth – Park Synagogue
Burials no longer take place at Fir Street Cemetery. The deceased include Polish immigrant Harry “Czar” Bernstein, an East side political boss who owned saloons and theaters; Russian immigrant Rabbi Gershon Ravinson of E. 4oth Street who was of the 10th generation of rabbis in his family, as well as R.H. Myers.
In 2007, Judge Ray Pianka, Cleveland Municipal Housing Court Judge who lives in the neighborhood, led a neighborhood block club to renovate the cemetery that was completed in 2009.
Donors for the project included the Cleveland Foundation and Beachwood resident Robert Klein, owner of Safeguard Properties. “This project honored the memories of the people buried in the cemetery, said Klein”. “So many people of different faiths and nationalities came together to make something very special happen.”
The gate is locked. Access can be scheduled by contacting Park Synagogue.
