Teach the Children – The Anne Frank Children’s Human Rights Memorial

Anne Frank Children’s Human Rights Memorial – Buenos Aires – Artist’s concept

In a quiet suburban Buenos Aires neighborhood, a new memorial is being prepared for an early 2024 dedication.  The sculpture by noted Jerusalem artist Sam Philipe has been funded and donated to the citizens of Buenos Aires by the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation, (JASHP).

The large bronze sculpture of a little girl over a writing desk under a simulated attic is called the Anne Frank Children’s Human Rights Memorial.  JASHP has funded and placed similar sculptures in Guatemala, Maaleh Adumim and one donated to the Shalva Disabled Children’s Home in Jerusalem.

At the base of the sculpture(s) are three engraved panels reflecting Anne’s story.

“In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart. – Anne Frank”

“Of the 6 million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, 1939-1945, 1.5 million were children. Anne Frank was one of them.”

The most important panel:

“Children are the ultimate victims of adult hatred, bigotry, and ignorance.”

Interpretive panels Buenos Aires Anne Frank Children’s Human Rights Memorial

President Reuven Rivlin of Israel wrote to us:

”Dear Jerry,

Thank you on behalf of the State of Israel for donating and placing in Israel the first in a series of International Children’s Human Rights Memorials themed on Anne Frank’s experiences during the Holocaust.

I fully agree with the messaging of the Memorial that Children are the ultimate victims of adult hatred, bigotry and ignorance.

It is my personal hope that you will find wide receptivity to your very important effort.

When all people, everywhere, protect the children of today, peace tomorrow will be one step closer.

I sincerely look forward to meet you when you come to Jerusalem.

Shalom,

President Rivlin”

Children are not innately bad or evil.  They have to be taught from a very early age to hate which is reinforced, amplified through schools, societies and cultures.

The horrifying hate, blood lust, human depravity and sexual crimes perpetrated against defenseless Jews on October 7 did not come out of a vacuum.  Palestinian schools, families, and culture teach hate, glorifying death.  The Palestinian educational system is largely funded by the U.N., E.U. and other international countries and bodies.

The Jewish world has nothing of its equivalent that teaches hate.  Even after the Holocaust when revenge, retribution, would have been understood, perhaps even justified, the blood lust was never a purpose of Israeli or Jewish education.  Jews were trying for a better future not living in the darkness of the past.

Jews chose not to turn their children into victims, into martyrs for blood.

If, and when Israel takes over Gaza, it must revamp the Palestinian educational system of hate being impregnated into the young minds.  The crimes against humanity perpetrated by the terrorists on October 7 must not be the future of Palestinian glorification or for the world’s antisemitic celebration.  The young men, the terrorists, the human monsters of October 7, were made.

It is incumbent, not just upon Israel, but upon the world to change the future by not turning the children of the present and future generations into victims of adult hatred, bigotry, and ignorance.

Former Prime Minister of Israel Golda Meir lamented what the Palestinian educational system has done.

” We can forgive (them) for killing our children. We cannot forgive them from forcing us to kill their children. We will only have peace with (them) when they love their children more than they hate us.”

The Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation is looking for possible opportunities to place future Anne Frank Children’s Human Rights Memorials.  We were very near placing one in Ethiopia recently until civil war prevented us.  It would be significant if an Anne could be dedicated in an Arab capital and the Vatican.