Amidst solemn remembrance and community solidarity, the Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati marked the completion of restoration for the tombstones vandalized last summer. As reported by LOCAL12, a rededication ceremony was held yesterday morning, celebrating the work to mend the nearly 180 headstones that had been desecrated at the Covedale Cemetery complex.
While addressing the heartache of the damage and the journey to restoration, Sue Susskind, Executive Director of Jewish Cemeteries, shared with FOX19, “It’s our job to make sure they are laid to rest with dignity and peace. Someone disrupted that, and we were able to restore it for them.” Many of the affected headstones, some dating back to the late 1800s, were found pushed face down, complicating the process of notifying respective families.
The restorative efforts, however, went beyond merely fixing the gravestones. As noted by Karen Zanger to WLWT, the service included a prayer calling for "refuah shleimah" – a term in Judaism meaning a complete recovery, which symbolizes the community's wish for wholeness and healing following the vandalism.
"You would walk through, it was just rows and rows of stones that were down," Susskind recalled the scene of destruction in an interview obtained by WLWT. In the wake of the act, the community, led by organizations like Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati, drew together to upright what had been knocked down, reaffirming a stand against antisemitism and hatred in all its forms.
Family members, who felt the impact of the vandalism on a personal level, joined the rededication alongside faith leaders. Jim Sanders expressed to WLWT, “Any graveyard is a sacred place, no matter anybody's religion. So it was very upsetting. At the same time, I am very thankful of the people who came together and put these stones back to their rightful place.” Despite the physical repairs, the investigation by Green Township police and the FBI continues, with no arrests made thus far in connection to the crime.
