Aleph Pavilion: Atlantic City Boardwalk Holocaust Memorial

Aleph in gematria represents the number one. We are all one people in the human race.


Aleph Pavilion serves as a metaphor for both the suffering and transcendence of the Holocaust.

A stairway leads visitors from the boardwalk to an elevated platform and down the opposite side toward the ocean. As the visitor ascends they are reminded of the isolation imposed upon the Jewish community during the Holocaust, as many people of the world watched in silence. Once atop the platform the visitor is surrounded by walls made up of acute angles and dramatic turns invoking a sense of turmoil and violence. As the visitor descends toward the ocean they are asked to ponder the experience within a larger context. As the world interconnects, can our diverse global community learn to accept one another with a spirit of respect, love and social justice? The platform also serves to shelter a gathering area below. Surrounded by an arc of devastating history, we create a space of hope.





In Hebrew alphabet, Aleph(א) has no pronunciation besides that of the vowel attached to it.  The silence  represents memorial.  The letter provokes the symbol of infinity which is a motif for the shape of the memorial pavilion.