Memorial Name
No official name
Who/What is Commemorated?
Jewish Holocaust victims of Mostar
Description:
A large circular Holocaust memorial, with a semi-circular series of seven “mazevot,” inscribed with the names of Holocaust victims, is in the Jewish cemetery of Mostar. The circular platform is of three levels, expressed with a series of curved steps on the side facing the main cemetery, and the vertical “matzevot” on the side closest to the cemetery wall. Each “matzevot” is made of a concrete frame, rounded at the top, and painted yellow, with an inscribed gray granite plaque inserted within. A Magen David is inscribed at the top of each plaque. The center plaque contains a dedicatory inscription and each of the other six plaques in an inscribed list of victims’ names. The center of the platform is paved with a large Magen David in the center of which is a small circular section enclosing a low mound with flowers.
On the side of the concrete frame of the last “matzevah” (to the right) is a plaque inscribed with the names of those who sponsored and erected the memorial
Inscriptions:
Central plaque, in Bosnian and Hebrew.
In Bosnian:
JEVREJIMA MOSTARA
ŽRTVAMA HOLOKAUSTA
1941-1945
Translation: To Jews of Mostar, victims of the Holocaust, 1941-1945
לפיכך נברא אדם יחידי ללמדך שכל המאבד נפש
אחת מעלה עליו הכתוב כאילו איבד עולם מלא וכל המקיים
נפש אחת מעליס עליו כאילו קיים עולם מלא
משנה סנהדרין ד׃ה
Translation: Therefore, man was created singly, to teach you that whoever destroys a single soul/ Scripture accounts it as if he had destroyed a full world; and whoever saves one soul, Scripture accounts it as if she had saved a full world / Mishna Sanhedrin, 4:5
In Bosnian:
Na početku je stveren samo jedan čovjek
da te poduči da ko god pogubi jednu dušu
računa mu se kao da je pogubio čitav svijet
a ko god održi u životu jednu dušu
ratina mu se kao da je održao citav svijet.
Misnai Sanhedrin 4:5
MOSTAR 5759-1999
Translation: Therefore, man was created singly, to teach you that whoever destroys a single soul/ Scripture accounts it as if he had destroyed a full world; and whoever saves one soul, Scripture accounts it as if she had saved a full world / Mishna Sanhedrin, 4:5 / Mostar 5759 - 1999.
Six "matzevot":
names of Jews killed in the Holocaust
Plaque on the side in Bosnian and English:
ZAHVALJUJENO SE:
GRADU MOSTARU
AMERICAN JEWISH
JOINT
DISTRIBUTION
COMMITTEE
NEW YORK
KON MIHAJLO-VILI
MOSTAR
RAB. Dr. MORITZ
LEVI-ŠVAJCARSKA
RADOVE IZVELO
J.P. "KOMOS”
MOSTAR 1999-5759
ZAHVALNI JEVREJI MOSTARA
Translation: Thanks are given to: / The City Of Mostar / American Jewish / Joint / Distribution / Committee / New York / To Mihajlo-Vili / Mostar / Rab. Dr. Moritz / Levi - Switzerland / works carried out by / J.P. "Komos” / Mostar 1999-5759 / Grateful Jews Of Mostar
Commissioned by
Jewish Community of Mostar
Assisted by The City of Mostar and American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee