Garden of Stones 2003

Andy Goldsworthy’s installation at the Museum of Jewish Heritage is a contemplative space for visitors as well as a memorial of the Holocaust. The trees, planted in rock by Holocaust survivors, their families, and Goldsworthy, symbolize human resilience. The boulders might seem like a deterrent to growth, but over time, they will be enveloped by the trees. Adding to the symbolism of the garden are the number of boulders - eighteen. The Hebrew word for eighteen, chai, is the root word of l’chaim, a toast to life.