Ohio Holocaust and Liberators Memorial
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
On the south side of the grounds of the Ohio Statehouse you will find the Ohio Holocaust and Liberators Memorial. Dedicated in 2014, this newest addition to the historical markers on the statehouse grounds honors the memory of those who died in the Holocaust as well as paying tribute to the men and women who liberated Europe. The memorial was begun at the urging of Governor John Kasich who said at the dedication, "Our young people need to know about the injustice and how it happened and what we can do so it doesn't happen again."
Images
Memorial at night
The dedication of the memorial.
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
The memorial seemed to be an idea that came from out of the blue. Governor Kasich was listening to Holocaust survivor Barbara Turtletaub speak at a Holocaust remembrance event in 2011. When he rose to speak after her he said, "We need to have a remembrance in the Statehouse. Let's put a program together, let's construct something in this rotunda that can teach people about man's inhumanity to man, best exemplified by what happened in the Holocaust." (from source #4)
The idea caught on and a designer was chosen. The designer was world renowned, Polish-born architect Daniel Libeskind. The memorial includes an 18 foot bronze, cracked Star of David. There's also a limestone wall that honors the liberators by quoting the Talmud, "If you save one life, it is as if you save the world." The memorial makes clear the importance of both the liberators and surviving men and women with a dedication that reads: Inspired by the Ohio soldiers who were part of the American liberation and the survivors who made Ohio their home.
There was some controversy about whether to build a Holocaust memorial on public property. The head of the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board felt this type of memorial did not fit in with other the historical features of the statehouse. But Ms. Turtletaub had no reservations. "This is not a Jewish story. It's a universal story..." (from source #4)
The idea caught on and a designer was chosen. The designer was world renowned, Polish-born architect Daniel Libeskind. The memorial includes an 18 foot bronze, cracked Star of David. There's also a limestone wall that honors the liberators by quoting the Talmud, "If you save one life, it is as if you save the world." The memorial makes clear the importance of both the liberators and surviving men and women with a dedication that reads: Inspired by the Ohio soldiers who were part of the American liberation and the survivors who made Ohio their home.
There was some controversy about whether to build a Holocaust memorial on public property. The head of the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board felt this type of memorial did not fit in with other the historical features of the statehouse. But Ms. Turtletaub had no reservations. "This is not a Jewish story. It's a universal story..." (from source #4)
Sources
1. "Statues and Monuments-The Ohio Holocaust and Liberators Memorial." The Ohio Statehouse. Accessed May 23, 2016. ohiostatehouse.org
2. "About the Memorial." Ohio Holocaust & Liberators Memorial. Accessed May 23, 2016. ohioholocaustmemorial.org
3. Johnson, Alan. "Statehouse memorial dedicated with solemnity." The Columbus Dispatch. June 4, 2016. www.dispatch.com
4. Meiser, Rebecca. "Ohio's Holocaust Memorial Fight." Tablet Magazine. February 19, 2013. www.tabletmag.com