Description of the Memorial

The Holocaust is the most horrific event to occur in human history.  It was a states created attempt toward the complete annihilation of European Jewry and created some of the most disturbing lessons of humanity’s capacity for genocide.  Many American communities of all sizes have created a Memorial to show respect and honor those who were victims.  Some survived, most did not.  The Nashville Survivor community and their descendants have dreamed for many years to create a Memorial and educational space to recognize and honor their loved ones, many of whom have no graves, to create an area for personal reflection and provide an educational opportunity to learn about the Holocaust through the history of Nashville Survivors and their families.  They believe that the promise that they made to humanity, “Never Again to us or anyone” is an obligation they must keep and that this site will serve as a catalyst for future generations.  Based on the wishes of the Survivors, The Gordon Jewish Community Center has donated the land for the Memorial.  The area includes a Memorial wall inscribed with the names of deceased Holocaust Survivors and victims, and eternal flame, a symbolic sculpture inspired by a Holocaust survivor who has passed away and a reflection area with seating.  The Memorial is handicap accessible.

Long Term Plans and Priorities

The Holocaust may be receding into the past, but its lesions have and will continue to be timely.  Recent months have seen headlines concerning medical experimentation, anti-Semitism and genocide.  Holocaust deniers are a constant challenge.  The long-term priorities are two fold.  The Survivor population is aging.  They want to be assured that concrete evidence of their existence and what they endured is chronicled.  They want a place for themselves and their loved ones to be remembered.  Many have waited for many years to have a place to recognize and mourn their loved ones.  The Memorial site will include educational opportunities for visitors.  The goal is to tell the history of the Holocaust through the personal stories of the Nashvillians who are represented there.  The name of each European hometown of the Survivors will be presented at the pathway leading up to the Memorial.  Visitors may pick up an educational brochure as they enter the Memorial as well as a Biographical summary and photograph of one or more of the Survivors.  An audiotape explanatory version will be available as well.  Secondly, the Memorial is conceptualized as a Living Memorial with a significant role for the general Middle Tennessee community.  Plans include efforts to encourage non-Jewish individuals and groups like churches, communal and youth groups to visit the site.  It will serve as the only communal site that will make this history and the lessons that evolve available to the general public on a continual basis.  Through public awareness and school outreach, those who have never met a Jewish person or been on the campus will have the opportunity to interface with the Jewish community.  It is surprising to learn just how many individuals this includes.  Educational programs will be planned for the public.  The opportunity to have a role in transmitting the lessons of the Holocaust is significant.  Students respond regularly that learning this history has an impact on their lives and some of the decisions that they make.  There are few opportunities for the adult population to deal with the history or confront the important issues it raises.

It has been sixty years since the liberation of the death camps, and World War II.  The number of eyewitnesses declines each day.  As each year passes, the ability to sustain the important lessons learned becomes more challenging.  The Holocaust has a unique role in history.  As Elie Wiesel has said, “While every victim was not a Jew, every Jew was a victim”.  The Holocaust has a pivotal place in Jewish history but just as important for the future, a universal message for humanity.  The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum greets 2 million visitors a year.  Not everyone is able to travel to Washington and so it is important to have local contact and impact.  Memorial will be to sustain a significant physical reminder while creating an environment for learning and reflection.

The music that is playing in the background is "It Will Never Happen Again" written and performed by Stacy Beyer.