Berkshire County Holocaust Memorial - Pittsfield, MA
Posted by: 
neoc1
N 42° 26.881 W 073° 15.129
18T E 643734 N 4701000
A Berkshire County Holocaust Memorial is located in front of the Berkshire Superior Court Building on East Street, U.S. Route 7, in Pittsfield, MA.
Waymark Code: WMHGM7
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 07/09/2013
Views: 2
The citizens of Berkshire county have erected an very creative memorial in the historic Park Square District of downtown Pittsfield, MA. A single 4' high by 8' wide slab of gray granite is separated into two pieces with a curved cut. Half of the left side piece is dyed a darker shade of gray the rest is left its natural color. The right piece is also dyed a darker shade of gray. Both pieces have curved tops two straight sides. The pieces are mounted on a 10' long by 3' deep granite base.
The darker part of the left piece is inscribed:
NEVER FORGET
THE HOLOCAUST OF SIX MILLION
JEWISH MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN
ALONG WITH FIVE MILLION OTHER
INNOCENT HUMAN BEINGS
ALL SELECTED FOR EXTERMINATION
BY THE NAZIS WHILE THEIR NEIGHBORS
AND THE WORLD STOOD BY SILENTLY.
DEDICATED WITH THE HOPE
THAT EVERY INDIVIDUAL WILL
ALWAYS STRIVE TO OVERCOME
PREJUDICE AND INHUMANITY
1933 - 1945
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The lighter right side of the left has five figures standing in a line. The right side has the image of an eternal flame. The flames spell out SHALOM (peace) in Hebrew characters. Below is the word PEACE
The base is inscribed:
DONATED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE BERKSHIRES
This memorial is has a unique and creative design. It also remembers the 5 million non-Jewish victims of the holocaust. I found the dedication refreshingly candid and poignant. "... and the world stood by silently". I found it uplifting that the dedication ends the hope that mankind will overcome prejudice and inhumanity.
I could find no website dedicated to this monument suggesting it was erected before the advent of the Internet. It is mentioned in many sites that list area attractions, e. g. the attractions section of the City of Pittsfield website under the Park Square Historic District.