“Holocaust Memorial,” from the “Sheltered Passions” portfolio by Richard S. McWherter.
The Holocaust Memorial of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation is located in Miami Beach, Florida and is a testament to the six million Jewish martyrs that died during the Holocaust. It was built by several survivors with the hope that their memories live on eternally.
“This image is from the “Sheltered Passions” portfolio and the “The Marks of Remembrance” chapter in the book of the same title. There are numerous memorials around the world marking many different cultures and historical events, but few tend to remind us in such a visceral and gut-wrenching way what we must never forget.”
Sheltered Passions is a pictorial collection of black and white photographs of American rituals. In this theme, rituals are defined as any solemn practice or custom, religious or otherwise. These are the things that people do that utilize significant amounts of their time, resources, personal sacrifices, and money, yet are considered inspiring or worthy by the participants, even if they remain intangible in the moment. And whether it is a lottery line or a communion line (both secular and sacred), these rituals are our “beliefs in action” that reflect our common, and unifying, sheltered passions.
"My work champions some of the hidden and temporal natural treasures on this planet and hopefully challenges everyone to be actively engaged in protecting our surroundings. Promoting this understanding of our world, and our place in it, will help us make sure it is here for generations to come."
-RS McWherter