Img. ID: 372097
Who is Commemorated?
27 Jewish victims of the Holocaust from Dubrovnik
Description:
The monument is situated in a narrow space between the cemetery chapel and a terrace with graves.
It consists of a marble vertical wall with inscriptions, which is preceded by a pavement with a stylized menorah in black marble. The names of the architect and sponsors are placed on the right-hand retaining wall.
The vertical wall made of gray marble. In its upper part, there are two black marble plaques with Croatian and Hebrew texts in memory of the victims. Under them, two black marble plaques stylized as the Tablets of the Law contain the names of 27 victims of the Holocaust in Croatian and Hebrew. The dates 1941-1945 appear between the plaques. Under the plaques appears a traditional Hebrew funerary inscription “Will their souls be bound in the bundle of life.” Under it, a black marble plaque is inscribed with the verse from the Book of Jeremiah in Hebrew and Croatian about Rachel weeping for her children.
Inscriptions:
On the vertical wall:
U spomen žrtvama holokausta židovske općine u Dubrovniku
English translation: In memory of the Holocaust victims of the Jewish community in Dubrovnik
לזכר הנספים בשואה מהקהילה היהודית בדוברובניק
English translation: In memory of those who perished in the Holocaust from the Jewish community in Dubrovnik
[List of 27 names in Croatian and Hebrew]
1941 – 1945
תהיינה נפשותיהם צרורות בצרור החיים
English translation: May their souls be bound in the bundle of life
כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה, קוֹל בְּרָמָה נִשְׁמָע נְהִי בְּכִי תַמְרוּרִים – רָחֵל, מְבַכָּה עַל בָּנֶיהָ. (ירמיהו לא, יד)
Čuj, jauk se čuje u Rami, gorko plakanje! Rahela oplakuje djecu svoju. (Jeremija 31,14)
English translation:
This is what the Lord says: A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children (Jeremiah 31:14) [verse 15 in the Christian Bible]
On the retaining wall:
Autor idejnog rješenja
Ivan Čerešnješ dipl. ing. arh.
English translation: Author of the conceptual solution / Ivan Čerešnješ, Dipl.-Ing. Arch.
On the gray plaque on the retaining wall:
Izgradnju spomenika omogućili su:
Grad Dubrovnik
Društvo prijatelja dubrovačke
starine
Židovska općina Dubrovnik
English translation: The construction of the monument was made possible by: / The city of Dubrovnik / The Society of Friends of Dubrovnik Antiquities / The Jewish community of Dubrovnik
Commissioned by
The municipality of Dubrovnik, The Society of Friends of Dubrovnik Antiquities, The Jewish community of Dubrovnik
Horizontal part: 200 x 231 cm
Among 87 members of the Jewish community of Dubrovnik before World War II, 27 people perished in the Holocaust, mostly in concentration camps. Among them was the city’s rabbi, Salamon Baruh.
The unveiling of the memorial on March 18, 2016 was attended by the President of the Jewish community of Dubrovnik Dr. Sabrina Horović, the vice-president of the community Slobodan Tošović, the President of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Croatia Dr. Ognjen Kraus, the Chief Rabbi of Croatia Luciano Moše Prelević, architect Ivan Čerešnješ, a researcher in the Center for Jewish Art at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the Croatian Minister of Science, Education and Sports Predrag Šustar, Prefect Nikola Dobroslavić, Mayor of Dubrovnik Andro Vlahušić, President of the County Assembly Ivan Margaretić, President of the City Council Mato Franković, Catholic Bishop Mate Uzinić, representatives of religious communities and many other dignitaries. Actress Nika Burđelez read appropriate verses and the Dubrovnik String Quartet accompanied the event musically. (Slobodna Dalmacija 2016)