The New England Holocaust Memorial

Historic Freedom Trail

Boston, MA

October 03, 1999

Bob and I took the "T" from Newburyport to Boston intending to follow the Historic Freedom Trail in order to visit the birthplace of America's freedom. However, as we followed the trail (Boston actually put in a path with red bricks indicating where you are to go - I kind of felt like Dorothy and the yellow brick road) we came upon a strange set of six towers that seemed to stand out against Boston's historic background. As I got closer I saw a plaque that indicated these towers were a New England Holocaust Memorial. I'm sure that those of us who saw "Schindler's List" realize how important it is to each of our personal freedoms that we don't forget those people who lost not only their lives, but prior to that their personal freedom (by having numbers tattooed on their arms). Someone once said "what we don't remember we tend to repeat." Could these atrocities happen again? We can only hope that they won't, but we all know that they could.

The presentation at this memorial was truly awesome. You can stand inside each of the towers and on the glass part was listed the number of everyone who passed through the Nazi death camps. In addition the towers are set on a black granite path, each over a dark smoldering chamber bearing the name of one of the principal Nazi death camps. Something I didn't realize, until later when I took time to sit down and read the literature I had collected, was that the six towers recall the death camp chimneys, the six million Jews, and a menorah of memorial candles.

This particular site being located along Boston's Historic Freedom Trail offers a unique opportunity for reflection on the meaning of freedom and oppression and on the importance of a society's respect for human rights. A quotation in one of their brochures pointed up our obligations as individuals more than anything else. "...We must look at these towers of memory and say to ourselves, 'No one should ever deprive a human being of his or her right to dignity. No one should ever deprive anyone of his or her right to be a sovereign human being. No one should ever speak again about racial superiority.'.........We cannot give evil another chance." Elie Wiesel

If you would like to learn more about this memorial take a look at their website at: http://www.nehm.org.

Good Luck! Have Fun! and Stay Safe!

Laura