Georgia College plants daffodils in honor of Holocaust victims
(Milledgeville, Ga) — On Tuesday evening, Georgia College’s Jewish student organization, Hillel, dedicated their newly planted Daffodil garden in memory of the more than 1 million children killed in the Holocaust.
“It’s a great story and a great way to remember,” said University President Dr. Steve Dorman, who planted a bulb at the ceremony. “I think when they come up in the springtime, it will be a way that we can remember and tell the story again.”
GC President Steve Dorman plants a daffodil bulb outside of the Hillel House
The Daffodil Project aims to create a “Living Holocaust Memorial,” with a goal of planting 1.5 million yellow daffodils, one for each Jewish child killed. They’ve already planted more than 520,000.
They chose the yellow flowers because they resemble the yellow stars the Nazis forced Jews to wear, but also because “the daffodils are very resilient,” said Dr. Karen Berman, outgoing faculty advisor. “They give us hope and renewal because they come up each spring.”
All students were able to participate. More than 1,000 bulbs were planted on the old Baldwin County Courthouse grounds on Tuesday and Wednesday. For each bulb planted, the participant is given a sheet with a photo and a biography of a child victim of the Holocaust.
GC Hillel president Abbie Frankel, whose grandfather is a Holocaust survivor, said the project “really touches home for me.” To her, it’s more proof that the group has laid down roots. “I know that in years to come, even once I’m gone, I’ll be able to come back and be like ‘hey, I had a hand in that,’ and that’s really a cool feeling,” said Frankel.
University President Dr. Steve Dorman, GC Police Chief Brett Stanelle, Provost Costas Spirou, and Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Shawn Brooks each planted bulbs at the ceremony.