On the corner of Jacob van Heemskerckstraat and Dr. JG Mezgerstraat stands a memorial to the Zandvoort synagogue, which was destroyed on 4 August 1940 during the German occupation. The monument, made of natural stone by Toon Lavertu, was unveiled in 1991 by the Israeli ambassador M. Bawly.
The synagogue, built in 1922 and festively inaugurated, was an important place for the Jewish community. During the Second World War this community was hit hard. In 1942 all Jewish residents of Zandvoort were deported, of whom only a few returned.
The memorial not only commemorates the destroyed synagogue, but also the suffering of the Jewish community during the war. The inscription reads: “On this site stood the synagogue that was destroyed on 4 August 1940 / 1 aw 5700 during the German occupation.”
The monument is a lasting reminder of the past and a tribute to the victims of this dark period in Zandvoort’s history.