Letter to the Editor

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Holocaust Remembrance Monument: Roger Williams Park Zoo

Published November 5, 2010

To the Editor:

               My name is Ashley Herskowitz and I am writing to you on behalf of my concern for the lack of Holocaust Remembrance monuments in Rhode Island.   I am a family member to two Holocaust Survivors and I would thoroughly enjoy having a place to go to honor my family.  My grandparents were victims of Auschwitz and Buchenwald Concentration Camps.  Although they passed away a few years back, I would benefit from having a memorial site close by.  I am a student at the University of Rhode Island and on days like their birthdays I feel I don’t have a place to go to honor them.  Advocating for this monument would be something all of us in this community could be proud of.  The park already has large revenue and adding this monument would only increase the population of people who visit. After a brief interview with two URI Seniors, I received some feedback of how they felt about this.  These two students were of Jewish and Christian faith, and both felt this would be a great idea.  Having survived the holocaust doesn’t mean you had to be Jewish, which I think is a lot of the confusion and problem in trying to raise awareness.  I feel with a publication in the Providence Journal we could get some feedback on this idea from all residents of Rhode Island.  As a young adult I feel like we need to continue the awareness and education of this part of history in order to avoid it ever happening again.  With this monument, it will serve as the small part Rhode Island can do to honor those we lost.  It is made known to me that many colleges in Rhode Island have museums remembering the Holocaust, but I have yet to see an actual monument.  Though it’s not a recent tragedy, it still makes up a large portion of America history.   Since children are predominantly the visitors of the zoo, seeing this monument will entice there interest in what it means.  Teaching children of the Holocaust at a young age is an encouraging way to get them involved.  I appreaciate you taking a moment of your to take this into consideration.

                                                                        Sincerely,

                                                                                    Ashley Herskowitz

                                                                                    Advocate for the Holocaust Monument 

Personal Essay on what this Monument means to me:

I have been a part time resident in the state of Rhode Island for almost four years now.  I've often wanted to visit a place when it was the time of year to honor holocaust survivors, and the immense amount of family I lost in it.  My grandparents, both survivors of Auschwitz and Buchenwald, were amazing people with unbelievable stories. I feel Rhode Island should have a monument in honor of all those we lost, not just my grandparents.  The Roger Williams Park Zoo would be the perfect place to create “The Steven Herskowitz Holocaust Remembrance Monument”. 

My grandmother Agi Herskowitz, grew up in the Austria-Czech Region.  She was taken to Auschwitz in 1946, along with her 9 sisters.  At the time, she was married and had a four year old son.  When she entered the camp her husband and son went to the left and she went to the right.  This was the last time she would ever see them again, as well her sisters.  Her husband and son were told they were going to the showers, and as we learn in all our history courses, that is not what really happened.  She fought for her survival using her skills as a seamstress to sew the uniforms of all the Nazis.  She was fed very minimally, but enough to stay alive.  This wasn’t the same for the rest of her family, leaving only her and two of her sisters once the camps were liberated. 

My grandfather Alexander Herskovits originated from Hungary in the Budapest region.  He was taken to Buchenwald Concentration Camp, where he too was married with a three year old daughter.  He lost them immediately, mainly because female children were of no use at the camps.  Through this treacherous time he survived by being the caretaker of the guards dogs.  His job was to feed them twice a day, and he kept himself alive by stealing some of the dog’s food for his own use.  When the camps were liberated, having no family he was taken to the liberation centers for all holocaust survivors.  My grandmother Agi and he met at this location, and having been through the same experience they found love in each other.

In 1951, they decided to begin a life together, and relocate to America.  They came to Ellis Island and found an apartment in the Bronx.  Alexander changed his name to Steven and made ‘Herskovits’ in Herskowitz to sound more American.  They began a new life, as best as they could considering the inhumane conditions they just came from.  They had two children Geraldine and Mitchell.  Mitchell is my father, as a child he made it a very important value to me to never forget the things my grandparents went through.  If there is one thing I’ve been instilled with through all their stories and teachings, it’s to never take things for granted.  I’m not sure I can ever truly understand the hardships they’ve suffered, but I can do my part in honoring them.  This monument would mean the world to me, and I can almost guarantee it would mean the same for other families of survivors.  This monument would be a place I could go on their birthdays, Holocaust Remembrance Day, and overall just a place where I could go to show them how much I respect and love them.  Even if the Holocaust has no affect on your life, if we don’t all remember history is sure to repeat itself.  

Roger Williams Park Zoo Rules for the Steven Herskowitz Holocaust Remembrance Monument

Please maintain the positive atmosphere of the park by abiding by these rules: 

No Loitering
 No Littering
 No Illegal Paraphernalia
 No Open Containers
 No Skateboarding or Roller blading
 No Glass Containers
Dogs Must be on a Leash and under restraint

Smoking

Disorderly Conduct

No firearms or weapons

No Bikes beyond Parking Area

    

The Steven Herskowitz Holocaust Remembrance Monument: Architectural Influences