← North Star with Ellin Bessner7 oct. · 23 min

Canada’s first Oct. 7 memorial inside a Jewish cemetery is in Calgary

Canada’s first Oct. 7 memorial inside a Jewish cemetery is in Calgary7 oct.23 min

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When Calgary’s new sculpture, Shattered Into Light, was transported from the artist’s California studio in a wooden crate, Calgary Jewish cemetery operators thought it looked like an artifact from the film Raiders of the Lost Ark. The sculpture and an adjacent plaque were installed in a renovated community space inside Calgary’s historic Erlton cemetery, now called the Garden of Remembrance. Dedicated during a community ceremony in late August, the metal artwork stands 1.86 metres tall, or just over six feet—about the height of a full-size refrigerator.

Other Canadian Oct. 7 memorial projects have been created in recent years—locations include a garden at a Vancouver synagogue, two Jewish community centres in Toronto, and outside the Ottawa JCC. But the Calgary monument is believed to be the first permanent Oct. 7 memorial inside a Canadian Jewish cemetery—and possibly among the first of its kind in North America.

Organizers felt they needed to provide a peaceful place where people could honour those lost on Oct. 7 and in the ensuing conflict. Calgary is home to the brother of murdered Canadian peace activist Vivian Silver, as well as Israelis impacted by the 2023 terrorist attack. The sculpture has already attracted visitors, including non-Jews.

While the local Chevra Kadisha isn’t actively soliciting funds for the project, which was covered by local sponsors, financial contributions to its upkeep are welcome.

On today’s episode of The CJN’s North Star podcast, artist Charles Sherman joins host Ellin Bessner, along with Harold Lipton and Susan Dvorkin of the Calgary Chevra Kadisha, to discuss the new garden, the Oct. 7 sculpture and why the community wanted this memorial now.