The 'Jewish monument' (Joods Monument) in Delfzijl stands as a tribute to the memory of 126 Jewish residents who were deported and tragically lost their lives at the hands of the occupiers. This memorial not only serves as a solemn remembrance of the past but also carries a profound message for the present and future.
On March 11, 1942, a distressing event unfolded as 136 Jews were forcibly removed from Delfzijl by train. Following a period in Amsterdam, they were transported through the Westerbork transit camp to the Auschwitz and Sobibor extermination camps. Tragically, only twelve of them survived. Additionally, two Jewish individuals who were in hiding, the Sleutelberg brothers, met a tragic end in Farsum shortly before the war's conclusion.
The Bible verse (Proverbs, 16:6a) engraved in Hebrew on the monument reads:
"BY LOVE AND FAITHFULNESS
INIQUITY IS ATONED FOR."
A Dutch translation of this text is also displayed alongside the monument.
The monument is embedded in the wall of the stairwell at the Delfzijl Town Hall, situated at Johan van den Kornputplein.
