November 28th, 2001, A Very Special Evening

Spanish & Portuguese Synagogue-Montreal

On November 28th, 2001, a very special dedication ceremony took place at our Synagogue.Through the very generous support and initiative of two of our congregations families, two original and magnificent memorial sculptures were unveiled in the Gabbay Lobby on each side of the main doors facing Main Sanctuary. These two sculptures, commissioned through the very generous support of Josianne and Maurice Levy, and Rita and Victor Guindi, and their families, commemorate very significant and tragic events that have affected all Jews all over the world.

The first sculpture is a memorial to the millions of Jews who perished in the Holocaust. This sculpture, depicting a Holocaust victim asking the almighty for help, is a moving and powerful symbol of the horrors and tragedies suffered by our brothers and sisters during the Second World War.

The second sculpture depicts a soldier of Israel ready to plant a flag of his land in the ground, and pays tribute to the very many soldiers who lost their lives defending our Homeland, the State of Israel. Both of these sculptures, designed and produced by Montreal artist, Rosalind Swartzman, are mounted on the walls of our Synagogue and are accompanied by an eternal flame, and serve to pay tribute and commemorate the many lives lost in these very significant and tragic happenings in the history of Jews.

The over 450 guests who attended the special dedication service to unveil the two sculptures also heard speeches from many of the dignitaries who were invited to be present at the evening. The Consul General of Israel, Mr. Shlomo Avital, conveyed an emotional message of thanks to the families, as well as to the entire congregation, for commemorating the many lives lost in defense of Israel. Other speakers included Mr. Joseph Gabay, President of Canadian Jewish Congress Quebec Region, with the evening's guest speaker, Professor Gil Troy of McGill University, giving a passionate speech about preserving and remembering the past. Guests were also entertained by the beautiful songs of three combined choirs, led by Eyal Bitton singing a selection of beautiful Hebrew melodies. Guest soloist, Jenie Respitz, sang a poignant song in Yiddish, Eli Eli, written by a Treblinka survivor of the sister he lost in the Holocaust.

The evening gathered together guests, members and dignitaries from many of the prominent Montreal Jewish organizations, and the sculptures were unveiled with an eternal light that was lit for each of the memorial sculptures.

The families who brought this idea forward did so because it was felt that there must be something to pay tribute to those fellow Jews who lost their lives in the Holocaust and in the defense of Israel, and these sculptures will serve as a reminder of how much was so tragically lost, and how we as Jews, must never, ever forget.

On behalf of the entire congregation, our thanks go out to these two families who made this possible. It is a gesture of love, tribute, and respect, and it will honour our halls for many years to come.