Governor Ron DeSantis joined Florida officials, Holocaust survivors, and community leaders on Tuesday to commemorate the grand opening of the Florida Holocaust Memorial in Memorial Park and to honor Holocaust survivor David Shaecter with the state’s highest civilian award, the Governor’s Medal of Freedom.
The memorial bears the faces and names of Holocaust survivors who found refuge in Florida. Governor DeSantis described the structure as a “permanent commitment to memory and truth,” vowing that Florida will continue to champion Holocaust education and remembrance.
“In Florida, we are committed to upholding the truth in the words ‘never forget,’ and we will continue to sponsor causes and find ways to ensure our next generation is able to learn about the horrible ordeal that these survivors had to face,” DeSantis said during the ceremony.
DeSantis also revealed plans for additional memorials to be installed at the site in the coming years.
During the unveiling, Governor DeSantis awarded the Governor’s Medal of Freedom to David Schaecter, a 95-year-old Holocaust survivor who moved to Miami in 1957.
Schaecter’s family was taken from their home in Czechoslovakia, and he spent time in the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps before escaping during the Nazis’ retreat from allied forces. His brother was killed in Buchenwald, and he never saw his parents or two sisters again after the war.
“I’m honored today to award David the Governor’s Medal of Freedom for his decades of work, sharing his experience with Floridians, and dedicating his life to ensuring the lessons of the Holocaust are taught to future generations,” said DeSantis.
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Dave Kerner, Executive Director of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles spoke passionately about the need to remain vigilant in protecting Jewish communities and preserving memory.
“‘Never again’ is ultimately a way of life for the Jewish people,” Kerner said. “It is not the memorial itself that honors the survivors of the Holocaust, but rather the emotion that the memorial evokes when we are in its presence. We honor our beloved and cherished survivors by remembering the past. We remember the past so we can secure our future, and in doing so, we give life to the intent of ‘never again.'”
“First Lady Casey DeSantis and I were honored to unveil the Florida Holocaust Memorial in the Florida Capitol Complex’s new Memorial Park today,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “This memorial serves as a powerful symbol of our commitment to never forget the atrocities of the Holocaust and to recognize the survivors who later moved to our state – including David Schaecter, whose dedication to educating generations of Floridians about the Holocaust has earned the Governor’s Medal of Freedom. Florida is a better place because of the Holocaust survivors who have called our state home. We’re grateful for their contributions, and we’re proud to stand with the Jewish community.”
The new memorial stands as both a tribute to the resilience of survivors and a promise to future generations — that the lessons of the past will not be forgotten.
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