JSU Breaks Ground On A Holocaust Memorial Garden

Members of the Jewish Student Union gathered outside the ACK Building with shovels in hand to break ground on the new Holocaust Memorial Garden.

 

“I am very proud to have this garden on campus as it serves as not only a place of beauty, but a reminder to reject hatefulness,” said senior and JSU member Helen Gerber. “I hope this shines through with the Hamden Hall community and the Jewish community.”

 

Grabbing the shovel, Helen stepped in front of the garden to make the ceremonial first dig. Other students followed and worked their way to create holes deep enough for planting. With the help of Grounds Supervisor Silvio Colagiovanni and his team, students successfully plotted and planted various perennials that will annually grace the garden. With everything in place, the students added mulch around the garden as the final touch.

 

The Memorial Garden was Helen’s idea, and she worked tirelessly to get it approved and in motion as other JSU students got more involved with the project. Last spring, she got the garden approved by Upper School Dean John Greenawalt and a dedication site was identified with Head of School Bob Izzo. The planning stages culminated with Helen doing a walk-through with Mr. Izzo, Director of Facilities Jim Hunter 1980, and Mr. Colagiovanni about the ground-breaking techniques and proper planting schedule. In addition to the flowers, a plaque will be added to the garden in an unveiling ceremony intended for spring 2023.

 

“As a Jewish faculty member, I was moved to tears to see Hamden Hall students breaking ground on something that memorializes my grandparents (some who survived and some who perished) during the Holocaust,” said JSU advisor and faculty member David Sokoloff. “The act of installing this memorial symbolizes that my history and identity matter at Hamden Hall. As an educator, I hope this memorial is not just something that we can appreciate visually, but also something we can leverage in our classrooms and in our curriculum.”