On the grounds of the King David Memorial Chapel and Cemetery, an SCI/Dignity Memorial owned property, in Las Vegas, NV sits Nevada’s first Holocaust Memorial. The Holocaust Memorial Plaza, which broke ground in November 2021, will help educate visitors about this devastating time in our past and allow time to reflect on the importance of learning from history.
The memorial is designed in the shape of the Star of David and features crumbling antiquated brick walls with steel bars darting from the top, which symbolize the deterioration of life in the Jewish community during the Holocaust. “A somber presence is felt when visiting the memorial, but it’s also so encouraging to know the impact that this will make on many across the world,” said Mike Harens, National Accounts Sales Manager at Coldspring. The memorial honors the people that lost their lives in the horrific events in Europe during World War II.
SCI, Clark & Green Associates, and Coldspring partnered together to fabricate a memorial that would tell the story, honor the victims, survivors, and their family members, and stand the test of time.
The Star of David wall, fabricated in Coldspring’s polished Sierra White® granite, appears to be rising from the crumbling walls which feature a complete timeline of the events from the election of Adolf Hitler to the end of World War II. A custom bronze plaque sits at the top point of the star and features the poem “I Believe in the Sun” that was found etched into the cellar of one extermination camp.
Pavers in thermal Sierra White granite outline the bottom of the star, while tumble stone pavers in Coldspring’s Rockville White® granite fill the inside. Fabricated in our bronze foundry, bronze plaques displaying the name, location and number of deaths that occurred at each of the 6 major extermination camps are placed at the front of the memorial.
A unique feature was added at the last moment. Rabbi Sanford Akselrad traveled to Poland to aid in the Ukrainian humanitarian crisis, and while there, he was able to collect 6 individual jars of soil. Each jar was filled with soil from the corresponding extermination camps, and was memorialized within the project as well.
Dedication of the memorial took place on April 24th, and is now open to the public for reflecting. “To have been trusted to have a hand in bringing this memorial to fruition, and honor those from our past, brings a large sense of pride to our team,” said Harens, who attended the dedication in Nevada. “This is a project we will never forget.”