Remembrance of the Holocaust is a painful necessity for all of humanity. Pain can be eased, however, by a fervent desire to connect, understand, accept, and value every human life regardless of race or religion. The centerpiece of the Holocaust memorial in Miami Beach evokes this sentiment. The first thing you see is a 42-foot arm, reaching from the ground to the sky. Tattooed with an Auschwitz prisoner number, the base of the arm is covered with individualized depictions of Holocaust victims, climbing and clawing their way up away from a world that had slipped off its axis. Designed by architect and sculptor Kenneth Treister, The Sculpture of Love and Anguish is somber and powerful.

This statue is likely the first thing that catches your eye, but there is much more to the complex. Taking a cue from the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C., Tresiter also created a Holocaust Memorial Wall. The list of names, millions long, includes all known victims of Nazi war crimes. Other portions of the memorial include the Arbor of History, a Garden of Meditation, the Dome of Contemplation and the Lonely Path. The beauty of the meditation pool is a stark contrast to the photographs that illuminate the Arbor of History. Although the inclination here is to despair, the memorial illuminates the hopeful spirit embodied in the words of Anne Frank: “In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart.”