Summerlin is home to historical landmark
Summerlin is home to the nation's largest collection of stones that once paved the streets of Poland's Warsaw Ghetto Memorial before its destruction in 1943. The stones are displayed in the Warsaw Ghetto Remembrance Garden at Temple Beth Sholom, 10700 Havenwood Lane. There is no fee to visit the memorial, which is open to the public on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
In October 1940, more than 350,000 Jews were forcibly exiled by the Germans to the Warsaw Ghetto, a small geographic area surrounded by 10-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 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, D.C., 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. According to Goodman, Temple Beth Sholom hopes the memorial educates guests, increases their awareness of the Holocaust and reminds them of the dangers of discrimination.
"We encourage valley residents to take a moment to visit the Warsaw Ghetto Memorial and reflect on the personal freedom and peace we enjoy in our lives today," said Tom Warden, senior vice president of government and community relations for The Howard Hughes Corp., developer of Summerlin.
