Illegal Immigrants Monument
Monument Design competition, the Atlit Detention Camp, National Heritage Site, 2020
Client: Council for the Preservation of Heritage Sites in Israel
Design competition finalistThe 5-meter-high monument to the casualties of Aliyah Bet – the pre-Independence ‘illegal immigration’ movement – is constructed in largely abstract form: two concrete elements placed very close together, separated by a narrow vertical gap and a shared void.
A second look reveals an additional layer of hinted-at similarities that merge into a shared narrative: sail, a boat at sea, mast, road, journey, wave, wind, hardships, triumph of the human spirit, struggle for independence, a nutshell in the water. Inscribed on the element is a brief quotation from the biblical prophet Jonah – that the sea may be calm unto us – and the names of immigrant vessels that were tragically lost at sea.
Also, the gap and the void at the center of the memorial create a sculptural opportunity to integrate light and shade as an inseparable part of the element. At different times of the day, especially at sunrise and sunset, a strong, bright sunbeam pierces the narrow gap and extends beyond it for some distance. The shaft of light between the two elements can be seen, metaphorically, as an expression of hope: despite everything, those would-be immigrants clung to their hope and their desire to reach the Land of Israel and realize their dream.
