Obj. ID: 42167
Modern Jewish Art Holocaust Memorial in Charleston, SC, USA, 1999
Who is Commemorated?
All victims of nazism, including Jews, political dissidents, homosexuals, the mentally and physically disabled, Roma (Gypsies), and Jehovah’s witnesses
Description
The central element is a lonely, discarded tallit, the Jewish prayer shawl used by men in the synagogue and in which for some it was customary to be wrapped for burial. Cast in bronze, the tallit lies on the floor of a rectangular space that can been seen as a synagogue, a prison, or even perhaps a gas chamber. Left behind, the tallit indicates prayer and life cut short, but also the rites of proper burial denied.
In 2015, architect Levi said the memorial was originally designed in three parts; the sanctuary, a place of reflection meant to “transcend even the terrible events of the mid-twentieth century;” the place of assembly; and then the place of remembrance [Boughton, 2015]
These three divisions recall the purposes of a synagogue - a house of gathering, a house of prayer, and study. The north side is a rectangular, sunken lawn framed by graded steps, intended as a place of contemplation and a meeting ground for the annual Yom Ha Shoah (National Day of Holocaust Remembrance) ceremonies. The west side faces Calhoun Street and features a concrete and bronze inscription wall detailing the Holocaust history and now also lists names of survivors living in South Carolina. The center of the memorial, or sanctuary, is formed by a two-story high screen of mill-finish stainless steel.
Inscriptions
From 1933 until 1945, the National Socialist (Nazi) regime in Germany implemented a racial theory declaring the “German Aryan Race” superior. The Nazis used this perverse Theory and their military and industrial might to dominate Europe and to separate, imprison and ultimately destroy millions of human beings. Those who the Nazis deemed undesirable and sought to eliminate included political dissidents, homosexuals, the mentally and physically disabled, Roma (Gypsies) and Jehovah’s witnesses. But their chief victims were six million Jews.
What began as racial laws to strip Jews of their livelihood, their property and their civil rights accelerated into a campaign to systematically slaughter millions of men, women and children. By 1942, the machinery of mass murder was in full operation. Jews and other victims from all over Europe were sent to some 9000 concentration and labor camps throughout Europe, and to the killing centers at Auschwitz-Birkenau, Sobibor, Majdanek, Treblinka, Belzec and Chelmno located in Poland.
The denial of Human Rights with advanced technology and a pitiless will to dominate, caused the death of innocent millions and the annihilation of most of the Jews of Europe.
Commissioned by
Charleston Jewish Federation
sub-set tree:
Bronze
Stainless steel
From David Popowski, Chair, Charleston Holocaust Memorial Committee:
“The five-year period of design, fundraising, and construction was time-consuming, at times contentious, and meaningful. A committee of approximately 20 members of the Jewish community, with survivors Joe Engel, Pincus Kolender, Charles Markowitz, and Sam Greene playing key roles, oversaw the project. An executive committee consisting of Jennifer Phillips, Anita Zucker, Jeffrey Rosenblum, and myself handled the daily tasks and issues. Jennifer Phillips was at the center of our work, devoting her energies full-time to the project. Mayor Riley assigned City Parks Director Steven Livingston and head of Cultural Affairs Ellen Dressler Moryl to the committee, and they worked diligently with us.
From a group of 15 applicants, architect Jonathan Levi of Boston and landscape design firm Design Works of Charleston were selected. At the recommendation of Jeffrey Rosenblum and respected contractor and Jewish community leader Raymond Frisch, the committee chose contractors Stier, Kent & Canady to build the memorial. After receiving their cost estimate of approximately $500,000, we began the fundraising effort, led by Anita. Our timing was fortuitous because the economy was robust and we had broad support from the community at large. Contributions came from countless individuals and—owing largely to Anita’s work—from numerous corporations.
The selection of the site was mildly controversial. A few people preferred the old museum property on Rutledge Avenue, but the consensus was that Marion Square, fronting Calhoun Street, was best because of its visibility. There also was some disagreement about the design proposed by the professionals: some critics wanted a more striking structure and others a greater emphasis on Jewish symbols. The committee finally approved the memorial as you see it now. There was no discussion about the irony of it being next to a towering statue of former vice president and slavery advocate John C. Calhoun. Marion Square, by the way, is owned by the Washington Light Infantry and Sumter Guard and is leased to the City of Charleston. Their member and former South Carolina State Senator Robert Scarborough represented those organizations and skillfully handled the collaboration.
We broke ground on July 23, 1997, and on June 6, 1999 ... we dedicated the memorial at Marion Square before a crowd of 1,500 people.” [Popowski]
In 2015 additional plaques were added listing the names of Shoah survivors who settled in South Carolina.
Boughton, Melissa. “City’s Holocaust Memorial rededicated: ‘We will never forget you,’” The Post and Courier, April 18, 2015, https://www.postandcourier.com/archives/city-s-holocaust-memorial-rededicated-we-will-never-forget-you/article_00eca74d-ce22-54aa-9b57-e685f8672b51.html (accessed December 13, 2021)
Gruber, Samuel D. “USA: Charleston's Holocaust Memorial in Shadow of Calhoun Monument” Samuel Gruber’s Jewish Art & Monuments, Feb. 26, 2017, https://samgrubersjewishartmonuments.blogspot.com/2017/02/usa-charlestons-holocaust-memorial-in.html (accessed December 13, 2021)
Jonathan Levi Architects, “Holocaust Memorial in Charleston: Integrated Urban Planning, Architecture & Sculpture,” No date., https://www.leviarc.com/assets/profile-holocaustmem.pdf (accessed December 13, 2021)
Popowski, David. “Building a Memorial in Marion Square,” Jewish Historical Society of South Carolina (no date)., https://jhssc.org/building-a-memorial-in-marion-square/ (accessed December 13, 2021)