Young Israel of North Beverly Hills Holocaust Memorial

Update 01/09/2019: Installation Day. The National Sculptors' Guild is at the Young Israel of North Beverly Hills installing a Holocaust Memorial. Designed by John Kinkade and Dee Clements. Installation is nearing the finish line as we post. We are honored to create such an important element for this beautiful Synagogue and its members. 

Special thanks to Judith Garshofsky who has been assisting with coordination every step of the way. It was also wonderful working with Rabbi Pini Dunner on this important memorial. 

3/15/17: The National Sculptors' Guild has been commissioned to create a Holocaust Memorial for Young Israel of North Beverly Hills. The memorial is planned to install this fall.

Imagery by Dee Clements will include prisoners behind barbed wire, a Shofar and a representation of the Horah, the  Kotel with figures in prayer, along with the flag of Israel. Verse will accompany each theme.

​In order to give the sculpture both mass and overall symbolism, we elected to use the Star of David. As we vision it now, the star will be assembled using six equilateral triangles with one edge of each triangle tightly fitted to the center hexagon. Although we are using the Star of David as a modern symbol of the Jewish community, the individual triangles were used to identify prisoners during the Holocaust. We have therefore separated them as a subtle reminder. The star will be made of stainless steel with a soft gold bronze patina. It will be mounted on the existing wall at an angle with a framework that will not be seen. The two points on the left side of the star will touch the wall and the two points on the right side of the star will be approximately 10 inches from the wall. This will give the overall sculpture additional dimension with the use of negative space. It also highlights the theme of taking darkness to light that is represented in both symbolism and color.
 
Three themes are depicted on the surface of the star: the Holocaust, the Liberation, and Creation of the State Israel.  ​ Each will be silhouettes cut from stainless steel enhanced by relief sculpted cast bronze overlay. The color will go from matte charcoal grey and dark patina on the left (Holocaust) to medium grey and french brown patina in the center (Liberation) and finally polished stainless with a bright patina on the right (Creation). This graduation of value reinforces the symbolism of coming from darkness to light. 

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