Holocaust Memorial

Holocaust memorials tend to be somber, but this one, dedicated to the six million Jews killed during the shoah, is particularly grim, and doesn’t seem to offer any sort of hopeful end note; the theme is one of relentless sadness, betrayal and loss. The light from a Star of David is blotted by the racist meme of ‘Jude’; a family surrounded by a hopeful Anne Frank quote is later shown murdered, framed by another Frank quote on the death of ideals and dreams. The memorial was created in 1984 through the efforts of Miami Beach Holocaust survivors and sculptor Kenneth Treister. There are several key pieces, with the Sculpture of Love and Anguish the most visible to passersby. The sculpture’s enormous, oxidized bronze arm bears an Auschwitz tattooed number – chosen because it was never issued at the camp – and terrified camp prisoners scale the sides of the arm.