Warsaw Ghetto Remembrance Garden at Temple Beth Sholom in Summerlin® a Must-See
With the recent 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz survivors, there is increased awareness of the Holocaust, its global significance and the dignity of the human spirit. What many may not know is that the nation’s largest collection of stones that once paved the streets of Poland’s Warsaw Ghetto prior to its destruction in 1943 – are right here in the master-planned community of Summerlin®. The stones are displayed in the Warsaw Ghetto Remembrance Garden at Temple Beth Sholom, 10700 Havenwood Lane, Las Vegas, Nevada 89135.
In October 1940, more than 350,000 Jews were forcibly exiled by the Germans to the Warsaw Ghetto, a small geographic area surrounded by ten-foot walls topped with barbed wire and broken glass. Few survived in the Warsaw Ghetto due to the scarce rations of food and water and the high number of deportations to concentration camps.
“It’s hard to believe the magnitude of hardships endured in the Warsaw Ghetto,” said Felipe Goodman, Rabbi at Temple Beth Sholom. “But they did endure. And they endured well, reminding us of the dignity of the human spirit and our innate ability to experience peace even in times of great conflict and turmoil. We hope guests experience a feeling of peace while visiting the memorial garden.”
Temple Beth Sholom dedicated the garden to the occupants of the infamous Warsaw Ghetto in May 2003 after a year of construction. It is a circular building, representing the circle of life, and has no ceiling so visitors can see the open sky. More than 200 stones are displayed. In addition to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC, several local companies contributed to the building of this historical landmark, making Las Vegas the only site in the western United States to have Warsaw Ghetto stones.
There is no fee to visit the Garden which is open to the public. Visits can be arranged by calling 702.804.1333 X 100.