Holocaust Memorial Story Comes To Temple Beth David

April 12, 2009 by John Rook

The New Haven Holocaust Memorial was the first such monument to be placed on public soil — a lasting tribute to the six million Jewish victims who were killed during World War II by the Nazi regime.
Dedicated in 1977, its simple design is meant to evoke a quick and immediate response from all those who look upon it, even if they happen to be passing by in their car.
For 30 years, the memorial has been a place where individuals could go for solemn reflection and to honor the dead, and that memorial’s roots stem all the way back to Cheshire, where two local businessmen designed the monument that stands there today. And now, more than 30 years later, an exhibit honoring their work, and the work of hundreds who have looked to maintain that site and restore it to its original vigor, has come to Temple Beth David.
“We are the first synagogue in the entire state to have the exhibit brought here,” said Maddy Tannenbaum, a trustee for Temple Beth David, who chaired the committee charged with bringing the exhibit to Cheshire. “We are celebrating our 40th anniversary this year. We are not a young synagogue anymore. We are middle aged and we thought it was about time to bring in an exhibit like this.”
The exhibit is relatively simple in design. A set of cubicle-like walls are arranged in a circular pattern, with each wall displaying a different aspect of the history of the memorial, from its initial conception all the way through the restoration process that has taken place over the last few years. Intertwined are the stories of the people who made the memorial possible, with memorable quotes from a variety of individuals displayed.
Outlining the entire display are pieces of what look to be barbed wire, which criss-cross each other at each corner of the walls, representing the real barbed wire that was used at concentration camps.
In conjunction with the exhibit, Temple Beth David will also highlight their “Adopt a Survivor” youth program, which has asked students in the synagogue’s religious school to each interview a Holocaust survivor and do a project based on their life.
“The survivors are all dying off,” said Tannenbaum. “We told the students that they have an awesome responsibility to never forget and to say ‘never again.’”
Surrounding the exhibit are numerous poster boards, each one with a picture of a Holocaust survivor interviewed by a student and a synopsis, including pictures and drawings of that person’s experiences.
“We wanted to make this a family-centered activity because that is when it becomes real,” said Jane Kessler, the principal at the religious school.
Kessler stated that the exhibit was a perfect addition to the project for her students; most of whom came on the first day it was open at the temple.
“They were awed,” said Kessler. “You can get a sense with kids as to when they are really paying attention to something and this, they were paying attention to.”
One of the reasons why the story of the exhibit appeals to both young and old residents alike, Tannenbaum pointed out, is that the entire project has its foundation in Cheshire.
In the 1970s, local businessmen Marvin Cohen and Gus Franzoni spearheaded the design and construction of the memorial. Cohen, at the time, owned the Cheshire Nursery Garden Center and Franzoni, an architect working out of New York, had an office in town.
In 1977, Cohen was approached by the New Haven Jewish Federation about coming up with a landscape design for the memorial. Initially, the design was going to be a grove of trees, but after Cohen brought his friend, Franzoni, in on the design of the project, it was decided that more was needed.
From that initial idea sprung the memorial that today stands in Edgewood Park on Whalley Avenue.
“It was something that was very important to me and is still very important to me,” said Cohen, now in his late 70s. “I think we are all proud of what we did and proud to have been a part of the entire thing.”
Franzoni called the memorial one of the “best things I have ever done,” and stated that it was a project in which he took great pride.
“It’s a place where people can go — an important place — and having been a part of that means a lot,” said Franzoni. “It means a lot that people are learning about what it took to get it going. What they are doing now (with the exhibit) really means a lot.”
The exhibit will be open to the public from now through the end of April. Viewing times are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday, 5 to 8 p.m. There will be a closing reception for the exhibit on April 26 at 6:30 p.m. The reception is free, but Temple members ask that those interested in attending respond beforehand. For more information, call (203) 272-0037.