The Holocaust Memorial Miami Beach, formally known as the Holocaust Memorial of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, is a labor of love by a small group of Holocaust survivors who came together in 1984 to develop a permanent memorial in the city. The group established a private nonprofit organization and decided on Miami as a location given the high concentration of Holocaust survivors settled in the city.

One of the most important elements of the Holocaust Memorial is the Sculpture of Love and Anguish, a giant bronze representation of an outstretched arm, rising from the earth and stretching to the heavens. The entire area is made up of vignettes of family members trying to help each other in a final act of love.

The Memorial Wall is a somber reminder of the lives who were lost during the Holocaust. It’s the only link for many survivors to their families, a place they can see their loved ones’ names carved on a remembrance memorial. Holocaust survivors serve as docents, offering testimony and explanations to visitors, and the memorial offers lectures, seminars and school tours. Interestingly, the location includes the street numbers of 1933-1945, numbers matching the exact years of the Nazi regime.