Holocaust Memorial 2026

Good evening, honored guests and dignitaries:

• Mayor Jacqueline Railey
• Vice Mayor Jeff Wasserman
• Commissioners Welsh, Rydell and Brodie
• Mayor Bogen
•  Representatives from Congressman Moskowitz, Senator Scott Deuch, Hanchovsky and Polsky offices.
• Municipal officials
• City Manager Sheila Rose
• Government Affairs Manager Bernadette Hughes
• Sustainability Manager Linda Whitman
• Detlef Wagner, former Mayor of Charlottenburgvilmersdorf Berlin; and managing partner of יהי אור – The Jewish Educational Center for Democracy and Anti-Antisemitism Berlin, and a very close friend of my father.
• Distinguished guests, survivors, members of the community, friends, and family: Thank you all for being here today.

This monument, which I named “Generations”, is a metal memorial sculpture created as a lasting testament to the Jewish people after the Holocaust. It tells a story connecting past, present, and future. I chose heavy Corten steel plates, whose weight and gravity embody one of the darkest chapters of Jewish collective history. Cut into the metal are silhouettes of children, representing those who were murdered, orphaned or persecuted by the Nazis. These voids signify profound loss, but also serve as openings. As you move around the sculpture, your presence fills these spaces, transforming absence into life. Second-generation of survivors, third, and fourth generations now occupy these spaces, completing the work and turning memory into a living experience that affirms continuity. The children’s silhouettes reference my father, Frank Meisler’s Kindertransport sculptures, including one figure representing him, as he himself was a Kindertransport child who was orphaned and remained in England. My father’s life story is a remarkable one. He became a world-renowned artist, with monuments and sculptures installed across the world, five of which are dedicated to the Kindertransport. His work and his story have had a profound influence on my life. Back to the art, the Star of David echoes the star shaped cloth patches Jews were forced to wear in the ghettos, a somber reminder of vulnerability. The sculpture rises directly from the ground without a base. Visitors are not only observers, but participants, becoming part of the monument itself. Embedded in the sculpture are the words of a profound poem, written in 1943 by Hirsh Glick, a young Jewish partisan whose words became an anthem during the Holocaust: “Do not say: ‘This is my final way, The light of day has vanished into gray!’ The day we longed for still shall rise and glow, And in our every step, we live, we grow!” These words resonate here as a promise fulfilled. The generations who now fill these spaces stand as living proof that life continued, and the Jewish people flourish. Even today, amid global instability, Jewish communities face real challenges. Yet this reality has strengthened unity and a determined commitment to embrace Jewish identity, affirm presence, and resist antisemitism. As an artist, designing a Holocaust memorial is a profound challenge: How not to be too literal yet evoke emotion; To connect past to the present; doing neither too much nor too little. For me, “Generations” is the most meaningful work I have ever created to date. It weaves together my personal identity, heritage, and my family’s legacy, connecting the personal with the collective. It has been a profound honor to create it. Remember to celebrate life but also celebrating love by all people from all religions who want to fight extremism together. I would like to offer my personal and heartfelt thanks:

• To Jaquline, Jeff, Bernadette, Linda Whitman, and Sheila Rose, for making this monument possible and for allowing it to stand as a statement for the entire state of Florida. This is a great honor for me, both as an artist and as a person. • To Eric Small, Rob, and Ricardo of EES Design Studio Florida, for their outstanding professionalism and for helping bring my vision to life. • To David Fridman and Larry Greenberg, for their generous and continued support. • To Detlef Wagner, Julian Boxenbaum, and Karen Frieder, for traveling great distances to be here today with me. • To Emi Sfard and the Meisler team in Tel Aviv. • To all of you who are here today, for taking part in this meaningful moment. • To my dear family: my husband, Omer Barr, and my twins, Adam and Romy Meisler-Barr. You are my joy, my center, and my purpose. • And to this remarkable community, for welcoming me and making me feel part of your family.

Thank you.