Forest of the Martyrs
Forest of the Martyrs (Hebrew: יער הקדושים) (Ya'ar HaKdoshim) is a forest on the outskirts of West Jerusalem. It is on the western edge of the Jerusalem Forest near Beit Meir. It was planted as a memorial to those who died in the Holocaust and contains six million trees, symbolizing the six million Jews who perished at the hands of the Nazis in World War II.
| יער הקדושים | |
 Scroll of Fire Monument in the Forest of the Martyrs | |
| Location | outskirts of West Jerusalem |
|---|---|
| Opening date | 1951 |
| Dedicated to | The victims of the Holocaust |
History
The first trees for the forest were planted in 1951.[1] The World B'nai Brith Jewish service organization financed the a significant portion of the planting of the trees by the Jewish National Fund.[2]
In addition to the trees planted in the forest to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust, the forest contains several memorials:
- The Scroll of Fire, a large bronze sculpture by Nathan Rapoport, shaped like a double Torah scroll, one depicting scenes of destruction of the Jewish people in ancient and modern times, and the second depicting scenes of national rebirth.[2]
- The Martyrs Cave, a natural cave that developed as a place of reflection and communion with the memory of Holocaust victims.[2]
- The Anne Frank Memorial, a large cube depicting the annex in which the Frank family and others hid and a depiction of a chestnut tree that could be seen from the annex.[2]
See also
References
- "הוחל בנטיעת 6 מיליון עצים ב״יער הקדושים״" [The planting of 6 million trees begins at the "Martyrs' Forest"]. The National Library of Israel: Historical Jewish Press (in Hebrew). Al Hamishmar. 1951-03-08. Retrieved 2019-02-10.
- "Martyrs' Forest - Remembering with 6 Million Trees". Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael Jewish National Fund. Retrieved 2019-02-09.
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