Holocaust Memorial, South Beach, Miami - Beautiful, Haunting and Thought-provoking

Holocaust Memorial, South Beach

South Beach's Holocaust Memorial is not a depressing place.

It's beautiful, haunting and thought-provoking, and not to be missed if you're in Miami Beach, or even elsewhere in Miami-Dade County.

Illuminated at Night
The memorial is open day and night and is illuminated after dark.

Giant Green Arm
As you approach the memorial the giant green arm of the centrepiece Sculpture of Love and Anguish is visible in the distance, soaring skywards.

“A Serene and Peaceful Garden”
Architect and sculptor Kenneth Treister commented, “Some artists depict the Holocaust only in the dimensions of its horrors with concrete, metal and barbed wire. I broadened the theme to include a serene and peaceful garden, dedicated to the memory of the beautiful European culture and its six million Jewish souls, now lost.”

Enter Memorial at the Right-hand Side
You are intended to enter the memorial at the right-hand side as you stand with your back to Meridian Avenue.

Quotation from Anne Frank
At the entrance is a sculpture of a mother and two children fearful at the first signs of the Holocaust, with a quotation from Anne Frank, “In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart.”

I firmly believe that some people are evil.

Holocaust Photos and Facts
Black granite slabs in a semicircular colonnade are etched with photos and facts and figures about the Holocaust.

Dome of Contemplation and the Lonely Path
Next is the Dome of Contemplation with a memorial flame, words from the Twenty-Third Psalm, a shaft of light from a yellow star of David and the black letters “Jude.” Then there's a gloomy passage, the Lonely Path, illuminated at intervals by narrow rays of light, with the voices of children singing.

Tattooed Number from Auschwitz
The passage leads to a circular walled area with the huge bronze sculpture of an arm. On the wrist is a tattooed number from Auschwitz Concentration Camp. Tormented sculpted figures cling to the arm, depicting families try to help each other in a final act of love, and there are other freestanding sculptures surrounding it.

Names of Holocaust Victims
On the walls are etched the names of Holocaust victims, and there are more names on the Memorial Wall, which you pass as you continue round the semicircular colonnade to the exit.

Second Anne Frank Quotation
There a final sculpture depicts the same mother and two children as the one at the entrance, but now dead. Another quotation from Anne Frank says, “Ideals, dreams and cherished hopes rise within us only to meet the horrible truths and be shattered.”

Directions from Lincoln Road, South Beach
The Holocaust Memorial is in the centre of South Beach, only a few minutes' walk along Meridian Avenue from the restaurants and shops of Lincoln Road, just before Dade Boulevard. Admission is free.

Google Transit Directions from Anywhere in Florida
For public transport directions from elsewhere in Miami and driving directions from anywhere in Florida or further afield, click on the Google Transit link in the right-hand sidebar of this blog and if you need help using Google Transit see the following post: Directions in Miami - Walking, Driving, Bike, Buses & Trains.