Holocaust Memorial Sites in New York City

New York City is one of the most Jewish cities in the world. In fact, nearly 1 million New Yorkers are Jewish. The first Jewish people documented as having set foot on these shores, came in 1654. Unsurprisingly, the largest waves of Jewish immigrants to New York City came following the assasination of Alexander II of Russia, then following World War I, and World War II. Since Jewish culture is such an integral and celebrated facet of New York City life, it makes sense that there would be several memorials to those who suffered and perished in the Holocaust. Here are some where you can learn more, and pay your respects.

Memorial to the Victims of the Injustice of the Holocaust

This is the memorial to victims of the injustice of the Holocaust. It is on the West Side of the Appellate Division Courthouse. On August 25, 1944 American planes took an aerial photograph of Auschwitz. That photograph was used to make this haunting sculpture. This sculpture exists because members of the Appellate Court worried there was an increasing indifference to injustice. A Holocaust memorial could symbolize these concerns. Especially since the photo this sculpture is based on, proves that the Americans knew about the atrocities of Auschwitz, yet took no immediate action towards liberation. It seems to ask the viewer, “What do you do in the face of injustice?” Most people walk by, and never even see this memorial.

WARSAW GHETTO UPRISING MEMORIAL

Did you know the first official Holocaust memorial in the United States is in New York City? And I’m willing to bet you’ve never even heard of it. It is located near the 83rd Street entrance to Riverside park.

Here you will find a small stone plaque that reads “This is the site for the American Memorial to the heroes of the Warsaw Ghetto battle, April-May, 1943, and to the six million Jews, martyred in the cause of human liberty. “

This was placed in 1947 to a crowd 15,000, and here is an another interesting fact: This was never supposed to be the memorial. It was a temporary markr for what would be a 50-foot-tall sculpture of a large muscular Jewish fighter, defiantly towering over a rabbi with arms outstretched over the fallen. But that sculpture never came to be.

Some claim it was because the sculpture was too depressing. Some say it was because the sculpture would be too distracting to drivers on the West Side Highway. At one point, it was proposed instead of a secular image of a rabbi, why not have a giant statue of Moses and the Ten Commandments, since most major religions believe in Moses.

None of these sculptures came to fruition, but the place marker plaque has become a place of great importance. Every year on the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, the largest single Jewish revolt against Nazi Germany in World War II, there is a remembrance ceremony held here.

A giant stone sculpture isn’t needed to remember the horrific events of the holocaust.

You can visit the plaque and never forget.

HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL PARK

If you find yourself in Sheepshead Bay, you may pass through Holocaust Memorial Park. This was designated in 1986 by Mayor Ed Koch. It was dedicated over a decade later, on June 22, 1997 by Mayor Rudy Giuliani. The main feature of the park is a tower of granite and a bronze flame. The tower is actually a smokestack, upon which are engraved the names of countries persecuted during the Holocaust, as well as a brief history of the Holocaust.