Boardwalk Holocaust Memorial — one step closer

Rabbi Gordon Geller's dream of a Holocaust Memorial on the AC boardwalk moves closer to reality. Rabbi Gordon Geller has the same dream every time he comes to this spot. He stands on the Atlantic City Boardwalk overlooking the endless breaking waves of the Atlantic Ocean. All about him hundreds of tourists stroll along the wooden way, enjoying the salty sea breezes. But Rabbi Geller can see his dream taking shape before his eyes.

He envisions a world-class Holocaust Memorial on this site. He can see an internationally acclaimed sculpture 35 feet high in bronze, rising dramatically between land and sea. He can hear the haunting strains of an old Yiddish melody, and he can practically feel the warmth of 12 eternal flames representing the major death camps. Perhaps a six-foot high bronze Globe of Genocide 20th Century revolves under the arched entrance sign: "Those Who Do Not Learn From History Are Condemned To Repeat It."

Rabbi Geller points out that this site - the pavilion between New York and Kentucky avenues - gets tremendous foot traffic, with millions of annual by-passers traversing a relatively concentrated area. "It could well constitute one of the world's most important vehicles for inspirational mass exposure to the evil of genocide and the Holocaust," the rabbi says.

To Rabbi Geller, this vision is not just a dream. He is the founder and president of Atlantic City Boardwalk Holocaust Memorial, Inc., a federal and state taxexempt, not-for-profit charity whose goal is to build and maintain, in the near future, a suitable and educational Holocaust Memorial adjacent to the AC Boardwalk.

This summer, Atlantic City Council passed a resolution granting the organization one of the most prized sites: 60 frontage feet wide on the beach side of the Boardwalk, between New York and Kentucky Avenues, with the majestic Atlantic Ocean as backdrop. A formal announcement of the site was made at the pavilion last week, followed by a reception at the Carnegie Library.

Several community-wide, interfaith committees (construction, publicity, and fund raising) are now earnestly at work to achieve the goal of building a highly credentialed and competitively judged multi-media Holocaust Memorial, not a museum. In order to underscore its mission of inspirational mass witness and consciousness-raising to distant generations, the Memorial's foremost purpose will be to reinforce psychological awareness regarding the Holocaust and genocide; only secondarily providing factual and academic information.

"Since Atlantic City has once again emerged as a major destination resort, the Boardwalk's 35,000,000 annual visits translate into 10,000,000 different pedestrians passing by our site each and every year," notes Rabbi Geller. "Chiefly because of this unprecedented foot traffic, the managing director of Israel's International Memorial, Mr. Shaya ben Yehuda, with whom I consulted in Jerusalem this past June, enthusiastically endorsed our efforts. In his view, an appropriately creative Memorial will flourish and be recognized as one of the most important vehicles in the world for disseminating, on such a large scale, the legacy-message of 'never again'."

Currently the organization is seeking competitive designs for an architectural monument.There is a great need for seed money. Donors who contribute at this stage will become lifetime Founders, with a citation affixed to the Memorial either inhonor, in-memoriam, or both. For information, interested parties should contact Rabbi Geller at 487-8726, or at Temple Emeth Shalom 822-4343, or by email tesrabbi@verizon.net.

Dr. Jon Fox is a member of the board of directors of Atlantic City Boardwalk Holocaust Memorial, Inc.