Iowa Holocaust Memorial’s relevance never greater, Gov. Reynolds and Jewish leaders say at ceremony

DES MOINES — The ceremony was planned a month ago. But Wednesday’s rededication of the Iowa Holocaust Memorial on the Iowa State Capitol grounds carried a new weight after the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists.

Local leaders of Jewish organizations and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds spoke at the ceremony, and all referred to Hamas’ attack on Israel.

“The purpose of this monument has never been more important,” Reynolds said during the ceremony. “The barbaric terrorist attack carried out by Hamas has shocked and grieved the entire world. But they’ve also strengthened the resolve of Iowans to stand unapologetically with Israel against its enemy.”

Reynolds said the Iowa State Capitol was to be lit in all blue on Wednesday night in a show of support for Israel. It is believed to be the first time the state Capitol building has been illuminated in a display of support.

Reynolds also said she signed a proclamation to establish a week — Sunday through Oct. 29 — of wearing blue ribbons to show support for Israel.

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The Iowa Holocaust Memorial, a gift from the Jacqueline and Myron Blank Fund, was first dedicated in 2013. Its architectural design, which features flowing walls of aluminum, is intended to represent a Holocaust survivor’s journey.

The memorial recently underwent a restoration, funded by a $100,000 allocation approved by state lawmakers in 2022. Reynolds said the memorial was the first of its kind to be displayed on any U.S. state’s capitol grounds.

Jarad Bernstein, executive director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Des Moines, said the attacks on Israel show that education about the Holocaust remains relevant.

“Our work in fighting hate and fighting antisemitism is clearly not done,” Bernstein said. “Iowans and all Americans must learn that the flame of the Jewish people was not fully extinguished by the Holocaust. We are here. We are Iowans. And we are proud.”

David Adelman, president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Des Moines’ Foundation, said that Jewish people are hesitant to make any comparisons to Nazis, the Holocaust or Hitler, but added that what he has seen over the last several days reminds him of 1940s Europe. In his remarks, he implored people to support Israel.

“The question we need to ask ourselves, is whether ‘Never Again’ is rhetoric,” Adelman said, referring to the phrase that has become associated with lessons learned from the Holocaust, “or will we stand up and say, ‘Not on my watch.’

“When you are silent, you are complicit,” Adelman continued. “When you try to justify the perpetrators’ actions, you are complicit. When you try to create a moral equivalency of Israel’s right to defend itself, you are complicit.”

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Michael Wolnerman, of Des Moines, said the declining number of living Holocaust survivors — like his parents, both of whom have passed — is another reason Holocaust memorials and education are important.

His father, David, died in September at age 96. He was Des Moines’ last known Holocaust survivor, according to the Des Moines Register.

“Because we are rapidly losing all firsthand witnesses to the atrocities of concentration camps, memorials like this very one play an increasingly important role in educating about what happens when evil is left unchecked,” Wolnerman said during Wednesday’s ceremony. “Holocaust memorials like this one force people to confront this history.”

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