During the Holocaust, there were Gentiles who risked their lives to save the Jews from this Holocaust. As Pierre Sauvage describes, "They were, for the most part, seemingly ordinary men and women who could not accept the idea that there was nothing they could do." They hid entire families or provided the means of escape for many; they protected children by "adopting" them, they used whatever means were necessary to defy the Nazi murderers; they were the Righteous.

In Israel a memorial to the victims of the Holocaust, Yad Vashem, is approached through an avenue of trees known as the Avenue of the Righteous Gentiles. At the base of each tree a small plaque testifies to the heroism of that person whose action saved a Jewish life. To walk this path is to be surrounded by symbols of all that is noblest in mankind. It is an exalted atmosphere.

In Glencoe, Illinois, in the summer of 1984, the idea of creating another Avenue of the Righteous was born. A call was sent out to Christian, Jewish and Baha'I congregations for a meeting that set in motion one of the most significant interfaith projects ever attempted on the North Shore: the identification of and tribute to non-Jewish heroes of the Holocaust.

The response was immediate. Support grew as more congregations, public schools and civic organizations joined in. Members of the clergy and lay persons came together in a common effort which soon became a reality.

By 1986 the Evanston City Council had unanimously approved development of the Avenue of the Righteous on a site in Ingraham Park adjacent to the Evanston Civic Center. The design was complete, sufficient funds had contributed and construction began.

In 1987, the Avenue of the Righteous was dedicated.