How To: Making an Elie Wiesel Memorial
In order to create a visual memorial that could be shared through social media to garner interest in the story and impact of Elie Wiesel, we made a memorial for Elie Wiesel at the Elie Wiesel Square in Jerusalem. We wanted to find a creative way to engage the passers by with the memorial square.
We started off by using quotes about him and what his legacy meant to people around the world from the Elie’s Echo program of Israel Forever. The messages brought to life how his perseverance and positive outlook inspired a generation, and can continue to do so for generations to come.
- We printed out multiple sizes of the posters, for different effects and placement options.
- We laid some of the quotes and one of his books by the trees.
- We set the bigger quote papers on the ground and led them up to Elie’s placard.
- We placed on the benches some of Elie’s books and more powerful quotes.
Posters leading to memorial plaque
Books and quotes on bench
Capturing memorial for social media sharing
Examining book collection
Looking at the memorial
Talking with visitors
The quotes were being held down with rocks because it was so windy. It felt as if the rocks were like those we, as Jews, put on the tombstones of the deceased - a reminder that their memory is eternal. We left everything out for a while and watched as people got off the train, and passed by the silent memorial. Some stopped to see what we were doing, some asked questions, some shared stories.
The impact, the experience, were a quiet and special way to feel invested in ensuring the legacy of Elie Wiesel, his voice and his vision, lives on in all of us, as the witnesses to the witness.
