At first glance, the Holocaust monument appears weighty and solemn—dark plates of steel rising directly from the ground. But it is the sculpture’s empty spaces that give it meaning, inviting visitors to take part in a story reflecting the spirit and resilience of the Jewish people.
Cut into the metal of Coconut Creek’s soon-to-be-unveiled new memorial, titled Generations, are silhouettes representing the children murdered or orphaned during the Holocaust, and the countless lives shattered by Nazi persecution. Their absences reflect the singular impact of history’s deadliest genocide: As many as 1.5 million Jewish children alone were murdered or died at the hands of Nazi officials and their collaborators during the Holocaust, during which some six million Jews were killed.
And yet, as visitors move around the memorial, those voids are filled—briefly, quietly—with life…