The Holocaust Memorial Located in Charleston, South Carolina

In the same way that a film or picture can evoke countless feelings and emotions from its audience, monuments, memorials, and public demonstrations have the same ability. The events of the Holocaust have created an everlasting impact on not only those affected and the future generations, but even cities and countries that were not affected. The Holocaust Memorial located in Marion Square in Charleston, South Carolina attracts hundreds of residents of the city and tourists from all across the globe during the duration of the day.

Constructed in 1999 by architect Jonathon Levi, the monument was built to commemorate the 19 Holocaust survivors who relocated to South Carolina. Levi’s design features three separate components to “transcend even the terrible events of the mid-twentieth century;” the place of assembly, a place meant to gather, and the place of remembrance (Boughton). It features a rectangular iron screen that sits seventeen feet high, sixty feet long, and twenty-five feet wide. Inside the screening lies a twelve-foot long tallit or Jewish shall that is worn during prayer or during burial. The abandoned tallit stands for those who have died as the screening represents a prison, synagogue, or concentration camp.

The Holocaust Memorial located in Charleston, South Carolina features an iron fence and tallit. twenty-four concentration camp locations have been added to the list as well (Gruber). One of the plaques features a brief message describing the purpose of a tallit. It explains, “The tallit is a four-cornered garment worn by many Jews at prayer. It is customary for Jews to use the tallit as a burial shroud with one of its four fringes removed as a symbol of death and mourning.” This is symbolic since it is traditional to be buried with this religious prayer shawl for men, but women too prayed with this garment. Although its physical size is overwhelming and its symbolic representation is as it can be overlooked if not looking for it. Passing by the memorial on my runs, I was unaware of it ever existing until recently.

The survivor’s names are inscribed in the memorial which gives the audience a personal connection to those being honored. The article, “Making the Memorial” written by Maya Lin discusses the making of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial as she was the designer for it and how she was criticized for being impersonal about the incidents that occurred. She explains, “as well the listing of names reflected a response by these designers to the horrors of World War I, to the immense loss of life…They captured what I felt memorials should be: honest about the reality of war, about the loss of life in war, and about remembering those who served and especially those who died” (Lin).

A quote is placed above the names of the countries which reads, “On that day, one who has escaped will come to you to let you hear it with your own ears. Ezekiel 24:26”. A quote from Ezekiel 24:26 is inscribed into a plaque located on a portion of the Holocaust Memorial located in Charleston, South Carolina. In 2015, when a ceremony was held for the rededication of the memorial, Holocaust survivor Joe Engel spoke, “Never again! That’s why we are all here, to remind ourselves, never again” (Boughton).

In the piece “The Effects of Public Memorials on Social Memory and Urban Identity” constructed by Ebru Erbas Gurler and Basak Ozer, the writers discuss the impact of an audience and the location of a memorial. It states, “Moreover, these memorials help tourists to carry this frame of mind back to their own countries and inspire them to establish a bond with similar crimes and problems today, whether faced in different societies or in different contexts” (Gurler et al). The message and purpose of the memorial can be taught to children of any gender, adults of any race, and elders with any ailments. Prejudice is not accepted and it is irresponsible to be ignorant or forgetful of the crimes that happened to humanity during World War II.

The article written by James E. Young titled “Memory and Counter-Memory” compares different design approaches to Holocaust memorials and highlights their distinct differences. “Both a monument and its significance are constructed in particular times and places, contingent on the political, historical, and aesthetic realities of the moment” (Young). The Holocaust is a memory that is individual to each visitor who views the memorial in Marion Square. It reflects the time during which the memorial was built.

The events of the Holocaust are discouraging and haunting, the millions of those who have lost their lives from brutality have been encapsulated in memorials, photographs, and monuments constructed by architects, designers, and artists who have deemed it crucial to display their message to society. The symbolism of this memorial celebrates and honors the large population of the Jewish faith still residing in Charleston, South Carolina. The Holocaust Memorial in Marion Square sheds light on the survivors and urges visitors to eternal recall the monstrosities conducted on human life.

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