TORONTO — The Jewish War Veterans of Canada’s (JVW) much-heralded memorial to Jewish soldiers, planned for Earl Bales Park, will be scrapped after years of inactivity.
A scaled-down version is slated to be built on the grounds of the Bathurst Jewish Community Centre, the veterans say, adding that they’re still fundraising.
The Toronto Post of the JWV admits that it’s in disarray following a shake-up last year of its leadership. But the veterans say a memorial of some kind to Jews who served in the armed forces will be built.
However, it will bear little or no resemblance to the project that was planned and widely publicized in 2005: an ambitious $7-million work of art to have been built by world-renowned architect Daniel Libeskind and dubbed Flames of Memory.
Set back from Bathurst Street on two acres of land donated by the City of Toronto, it was envisioned as a sweeping, curved structure resembling a chanukiyah that gradually ascended five storeys, topped by eight lights. Slicing through the middle was an arrow-like structure that would act as an eternal flame.
The project also called for a sunken amphitheatre to seat up to 200 people, ringed by two walls, one inscribed with names of Jewish war veterans from around the world, and the other to carry the names of battles in which Jews have fought, including those in Israel. The flags of 30 Allied nations and insignia of the various Canadian armed forces were to have flown.
Ground for the memorial was broken in October, 2005 in front of cabinet ministers, MPs, senators, MPPs, army and police brass, as well as Toronto Mayor David Miller, who called the project “the most significant war memorial erected in Canada in 50 years.”
All that is now history, says Toronto councillor Mike Feldman, in whose ward, York Centre, the memorial was to have been built.
“It’s pretty well scrapped,” Feldman told The CJN. The veterans “weren’t able to raise the money.”
He called the project “overly ambitious.”
The City of Toronto “was prepared to go ahead. But in order to protect the taxpayer, it had to have certain conditions met. [The Jewish war veterans] couldn’t meet those conditions, because their fundraising was a bust.”
Former JWV executive director Lou Van Delman said that since the project was launched, only about $700,000 of the $7 million has been raised, with most of that going for engineers, seed money and to pay Libeskind for his work to date.
The campaign included raising money for a $2-million endowment fund for maintenance and upkeep.
A sign soliciting funds for Flames of Memory still stands after more than three years in the north end of the park.
Feldman said the city has asked the JWV to take it down.
A new memorial is planned for the grounds of the Bathurst JCC, said the chair of the Toronto Post’s board, Morey Eckler.
“It won’t look the same [as the original]. I don’t think it will be even close to what [Libeskind] proposed.”
Eckler said whatever money was raised for the project is in an escrow account, but he didn’t know how much that is. “We can’t find the records.”
He said the Toronto Post has experienced “difficulties” since Van Delman and former Toronto Post commander Hy Shulman were ousted last year.
In the meantime, “we’re in the midst of getting rid of bad feelings in the community. It’s a big job.” The veterans are still soliciting donations, he added.
Feldman said he would like to see the JWV Toronto Post and the General Wingate Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion get together on a single project. “To have two separate groups is ridiculous.”
He said this episode has left him “very disappointed,” adding that the project’s failure is “embarrassing for the Jewish community.”
Arthur Drache, an Ottawa lawyer who specializes in tax law, said the JWV, as a registered charity, is entitled to keep whatever money it has raised to date.
“The money goes to the charity, not the project. The funds were not raised under false pretenses.”
Neither Libeskind nor Toronto Post commander Norm Gardner were available for comment.