Florida Jewish Leaders Push Local Officials for Approval to Build Holocaust Museum: This is Your Legacy
Jewish leaders in West Palm Beach, Florida, are urging local officials to provide answers regarding their ongoing efforts to construct a permanent Holocaust museum. The proponents have been advocating for approximately two years to acquire a vacant downtown building, which would serve as the site for the memorial.
I told the mayor, as I’m telling you, and I told the commissioners, this is your legacy. You have the power to help fight antisemitism, said Ira Jacobson of Herut North America. The city’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) has been attempting to sell the vacant building located at 314 Clematis Street, but a decision has yet to be reached.
Advocates for the museum, similar to the Amud Aish Memorial Museum in Brooklyn, New York, attended a city commission meeting on January 8 to reinforce their cause. The museum’s champions state that it would be an essential educational resource, particularly in light of the rise in antisemitism across the United States.
Since the meeting, the city’s website states that the staff is currently reviewing proposals, and an analysis is being conducted. The next meeting is scheduled for February 5.
However, frustration grows as the project’s progress appears to stagnate. Jacobson lamented, We go in front of them. They’re very nice, they don’t say much, and then, no result.
The urgency to establish a Holocaust museum has intensified given the escalation in antisemitic incidents. In 2022, Florida experienced a historic surge in reported antisemitism cases, with 269 incidents recorded, a 42% increase from the previous year and more than double the number in 2020, according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).
This troubling trend extends nationally, with a 360% surge in antisemitic incidents reported across the United States since the October 7 attacks in 2023, according to data from the ADL.
Furthermore, younger generations demonstrate a shift in attitude towards Jews and Israel, with an alarming lack of understanding about the Holocaust. A December poll by The Economist/YouGov revealed that one in five Americans aged 18 to 29 believes the Holocaust is a myth.
It’s important to educate these kids, Jacobson emphasized. We need a building that’s there seven days a week… to learn about what antisemitism is, what racism is, and what has occurred to the Jewish people.
Jewish leaders are left questioning the motives behind the city’s indecisiveness and call for a change in attitude. They don’t have it on their agenda or in their minds like other cities around America that further Jewish causes, said Ari Fixler, director of Amud Aish in Palm Beach County.
As the push for the Holocaust museum continues, its proponents are hopeful that the city officials will recognize the importance of this initiative as a lasting and impactful legacy.
