After years of discourses, the City of Toronto agreed to provide land in the park for honouring Jewish War Veterans. Mayor David Miller joined a host of dignitaries and veterans at a sod-turning ceremony for Jewish War Veterans Memorial, designed by renowned architect Daniel Libeskind. Set at Earl Bales Park near Bathurst St. and Sheppard Ave, the monument goal is to keep alive the memory of Jewish war veterans spread the world that fought and often died for the cause of freedom, particularly Jewish Canadians who served not only in World War II but many other wars, including some before Confederation.

Lou VanDelman, executive director of the Jewish War Veterans comitee, offered Sid Bregman, a prominent Toronto architect in his own right and a spitfire pilot in the war over Britain for the project. But he passed it to Daniel Libeskind, “I’ll build it, but I can’t create emotion.” When Libeskind was asked to design the memorial, he agreed. He did not see this as just regular project, but as an important chance for him to contribute to the Jewish community. Bregman will assist Libeskind.

Toronto business leader Gerald Schwartz, who has started the fundraising campaign with a $100,000 donation said, “There has been an alarming rise in anti-Semitism in Canada lately, and I would hope this will help people recognize what an important role Jews have played in fighting for Canada. This wonderful project offers an eloquent rebuttal to anti-Semitism.”

“It’s very meaningful for me personally,” Libeskind speaking on a cellphone while travelling in Europe, “because of its profoundly Jewish subject, because there is nothing more important than honouring these people who must not be forgotten, and because it is in Toronto, which my wife, Nina, considers one of the greatest cities in the world.” He added, “The new memorial illuminates the memory of Jewish War Veterans worldwide, particularly the Canadian Jewish Veterans, who fought valiantly, with great sacrifice against totalitarian and genocidal regimes to make the world free for democracy.”

The “Flames of Memory” height will approximately 25 metres high centered with a 350-seat amphitheatre that symbolizes the Macabees and surrounding it is a sweeping, angled structure crenellated by eight candles, alluding to a Hanukkah menorah, a theme chosen due to the celebration of against the freedom of tyranny. Slicing through the middle of the wall is an arrow-like structure that carries the “shamash” which will act as an eternal flame.

“Hanukkah celebrates the fight for freedom from tyranny,” says Libeskind, “and the eight flames serve as an emblem of what the people we are honouring were fighting for.” A Wall of Remembrance composes the rear of the amphitheatre will be inscribed with names of those who fought for freedom, all encircled by the flags of the 32 Allied nations, representing Jews from 32 countries who fought for freedom and democracy. The flags will fly, as will insignias of various branches of the armed services.

Just about 250 metres from the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial, the closeness of the two memorials makes a challenging statement. Yad Vashem calls attention to Jews as the principal victims of the most infamous atrocity and organized hate crime in human history. VanDelman says construction will start in the spring, with an opening either in November this year or the spring of 2006. “Whenever the opening is scheduled, you can be sure I will be there, one of the things that excite me about this project is that in addition to being about resistance to totalitarianism, it also speaks to the fight against terrorism. That is why it has a dramatic connection to our own times. And I feel lucky and much moved to have a chance to do this,” says Libeskind.

[Show as slideshow]