BOYNTON BEACH, Florida — Outside of the Jerusalem bedroom city of Ma’aleh Adumin, on the main road adjacent to a school, is a huge new bronze sculpture themed on Anne Frank. It was placed just last week. The sculpture was funded by the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation. It is the artistic creation of Sam Philipe, the noted Israeli sculptor. It is not interpretive; It is not abstract; That was a condition of funding. It is real.
The sculpture is unique in Israel. It is unique in the world. It is not another remember the Holocaust piece of art-themed on the tragic life and death of Anne Frank. It is unique because of its message, the real message, the real meaning of Anne Frank. The meaning is historical, the meaning is the future.
On three stone bordered panels in the front of the sculpture of her writing at a table are carved simple powerful statements.
“In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart. – Anne Frank”
“Of the 6 million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, 1939-1945, 1.5 million were children. Anne Frank was one of them.”
The most important panel, the most universal, powerful message to understand about Anne Frank’s life and death is the third panel.
“Children are the ultimate victims of adult hatred, bigotry, and ignorance.”
Victimized children of adult hatred, bigotry, ignorance are the targets of violence. What they experienced, expressed, and was marked on their young bodies and burned into their minds is their roadmap for the future. The children of today are the adults of tomorrow.
If the cycle of violence is to be broken, if society is to transition from darkness to light, the innocents, the weak, the compromised must be protected today for tomorrow.
It is a universal that is intuitively understood yet not frequently enough put into practice. Anne Frank, the 15-year-old child who believed in a better tomorrow despite her horrific experience and ending, was a child victim. She died of typhus and starvation in the Nazi concentration camp of Bergen Belsen. Yet, as she immortalized in her famed diary, she believed tomorrow need not be dark.
The Anne Frank Children’s Human Rights Memorial has not been dedicated yet. President Reuven Rivlin of Israel planned to be present at the Anne’s dedication originally scheduled for April. All plans, because of the Covid 19 pandemic around the globe, not just in Israel, had to be canceled, changed, or simply postponed.
President Rivlin, understands the unique message of the Anne Frank Children’s Human Rights Memorial in Ma’aleh Adumim. He understands as the representative of the State of Israel the importance of and the responsibility of society for tomorrow. He plans to attend the formal dedication as soon as will be possible.
President Rivlin sent me a letter today. Israel is the first Nation to receive an Anne. His letter reflected on the mission, the vision of the Anne Frank Children’s Human Rights Memorials to be placed around the world. His letter read:
“Dear Mr. Klinger, Jerry,
“On behalf of the State of Israel, I would like to thank you and the members of the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation for donating and placing in Israel the first in a series of International Children’s Human Rights Memorials themed on Anne Frank’s experiences during the Holocaust.
“Children are indeed, often victims of adult hatred, bigotry and ignorance and I hope that there will be wide interest in your important effort.
“I certainly can agree with you that when all people, everywhere, protect the children of today, peace will be one step closer.
“I look forward to the opportunity to meet you when you come to Jerusalem.
“With blessing from Jerusalem
“Sincerely,
“Reuven (Ruvi) Rivlin”
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Jerry Klinger is the founding president of the Jewish American Society for Historical Preservation, which places plaques, memorials and monuments at places of Jewish interest throughout the world.
Mazel tov, Jerry, on yet one more mitzvah fulfilled. Anne Frank’s memory must be preserved as representative of those millions who were lost – murdered – and the future of the Jewish world deliberately cut down. Am Yisroel chai!