WRITTEN PUBLIC
COMMENTS RECEIVED
Item #A2
1.Dianna Mannheim Sternberg, Flora Zomorodi, Nicole Emrani As a resident of Beverly Hills, I want to express my strong support for changing the October 7th Permanent Memorial design to "Shared Light Between Us" by Atelier Eyster Architecture.
What makes this proposal special is that it invites our community to participate directly. The plan includes a community planting of approximately 1,200 olive trees — one for each victim. This is not a memorial that the city builds and the public observes from a distance. It is something we create together, and that shared act of remembrance will deepen its meaning for generations.
Please approve the committee's recommendation at your March 24th meeting. Thank you for your leadership on this important project.
2. Vera Markowitz, Farrah Mikail, Jacob Esagoff, John Emrani, Ebrahim Emrani, Steve Schaffer
As your constituent in Beverly Hills, I urge you to approve the committee's recommendation to adopt "Shared Light Between Us" as the design for the October 7th Permanent Memorial.
After the horrific attack on October 7, 2023, this City Council made a promise: Beverly Hills would build a permanent memorial to the victims. That promise matters deeply to me and to many in our community. The previous design encountered serious cost and feasibility challenges that put the entire project at risk. "Shared Light Between Us" is a beautiful, meaningful, and achievable path to honoring that commitment.
Please do not let this memorial stall any further. Vote to approve the new design on March 24th. Thank you.
3. Mitra Shalom, Manijeh Emrani, Caroline Refoua
I am writing as a Beverly Hills resident to ask you to approve the change in design for the October 7th Permanent Memorial to "Shared Light Between Us."
It has been over two years since the October 7th attack, and our community is still waiting for this memorial. The previous design experienced significant delays, including a mockup that arrived two months late, and relied on fabrication in Ukraine. "Shared Light Between Us" is designed by Jeffrey Eyster, a Beverly Hills resident, and carries far fewer logistical risks. It can realistically be delivered on a timeline our community deserves.
I ask that you vote to approve this change on March 24th so we can finally move forward. Thank you for your service.
4.Claudia Resnikoff, Frances Bilak, Orly Halevy
I am a resident of Beverly Hills and I support the October 7th Permanent Memorial Committee's recommendation to change the memorial design to "Shared Light Between Us."
The committee and ad hoc conducted a thorough process. They evaluated over 20 proposals, selected a finalist, and when that design proved infeasible, they reconvened to carefully assess the alternative. The committee met on March 17th, heard directly from the architect, and recommended this change after substantive discussion. I trust that process and I hope you will as well.
Please approve the committee's recommendation on March 24th.
5. Revital Danjer, Maytal Fattal, Sue Makhani
I am a Beverly Hills resident and I urge you to approve the design change for the October 7th Permanent Memorial to "Shared Light Between Us."
The math on this decision is straightforward. The original design's cost estimate grew from $1.5 million to nearly $8.7 million, driven by specialized precast concrete that requires custom molds. Even a stripped-down version could not come in under $3 million. "Shared Light Between Us" delivers a complete, powerful memorial for approximately $1.8 to $2.2 million. The city has already committed over $800,000 toward this project. Let's use those resources wisely and build something our community can be proud of. I ask for your yes vote on March 24th. Thank you.
6. Erica Felsenthal, Barbara Lazaroff, Sharon Mymon, Danny Ana
As a Beverly Hills resident, I am writing to urge you to approve the committee's recommendation to change the October 7th
Permanent Memorial design to "Shared Light Between Us" by Atelier Eyster Architecture.
Our city made an important commitment to honor the victims of the October 7th attack. The original design, while well-intentioned, saw its estimated cost increase from $1.5 million to as much as $8.7 million — nearly six times the original projection. Even at its most reduced scope, it could not come in below $3 million. "Shared Light Between Us" delivers a meaningful, complete memorial at an estimated cost of $1.8 to $2.2 million, with a phased approach that aligns with the funding already committed.
This is the responsible path to honoring our promise without placing an unreasonable burden on the city.
I respectfully ask that you vote to approve the design change at your March 24th meeting. Thank you for your dedication to our community and to the memory of the October 7th victims.
7. Sharon Persovski, Nayereh Khankhanian, Laura Stein
I am a proud Beverly Hills resident and I urge you to approve the recommendation to adopt "Shared Light Between Us" as the
design for our city's October 7th Permanent Memorial.
This design carries extraordinary meaning. The names of every victim, rendered in their native language, will be cut through layers of Corten steel so that light passes through them. Each year on October 7th, for eighty-six minutes, sunlight will illuminate those names — connecting Beverly Hills at dawn with Israel at sunset. That is not just art. That is a living act of remembrance.
Our community has waited for this memorial. "Shared Light Between Us" is worthy of what it represents. Please vote to approve the design change on March 24th.
8. Yasamin Banayan and Baharak Zamanpour
As a Beverly Hills resident, I am asking you to approve "Shared Light Between Us" as the design for the October 7th Permanent Memorial.
October 7th changed our community. Many of us have personal connections to Israel, and the attack left a mark that will not fade.
A permanent memorial is not just a gesture — it is a statement that Beverly Hills will never forget what happened and will always stand with the victims and their families. "Shared Light Between Us" captures that commitment in a profound way, with each victim's name inscribed so that light itself carries their memory. Please vote yes on March 24th. This memorial is long overdue.
9. Alana Crow
I write to you as a fellow Beverly Hills resident in support of adopting "Shared Light Between Us" as the design for our October 7th Permanent Memorial.
It is fitting that this memorial would be designed by Jeffrey Eyster of Atelier Eyster Architecture, a member of our own community.
His proposal demonstrates a deep understanding of what this
memorial means to Beverly Hills. The committee reviewed his concept carefully and recommended it with strong support. I believe having a local architect who is personally invested in this project gives our community additional confidence in its execution. I urge you to approve the design change at the March 24th meeting. Thank you for your continued commitment to this memorial.
10. Marc Makhani
I am a Beverly Hills resident writing in support of the recommendation to change the October 7th Permanent Memorial design to "Shared Light Between Us" by Atelier Eyster
Architecture.
I appreciate that the committee has proposed a thoughtful, phased approach to construction. Phase 1 — site work, the central art piece, paving, and benches — can be completed within the funding already committed to the project. Subsequent phases, including the community olive tree planting and water feature, allow fundraising to continue without overextending city resources. This is exactly the kind of responsible planning residents expect from our city government. Please vote to approve this recommendation on March 24th. Thank you for your careful stewardship of this important project.
11. Uri Blackman
I am a Beverly Hills resident writing in support of the "Shared Light Between Us" design for the October 7th Permanent
Memorial.
What moved me most about this proposal is that the name of every victim will be inscribed in their native language. The October 7th attack killed people from dozens of countries. This memorial honors that reality. It does not reduce the victims to a number — it gives each one their name, their language, their
identity.
I urge you to approve this design on March 24th. Thank you.
12. Dr. Asher Esagoff
I live in Beverly Hills and I support the "Shared Light Between Us" design for the October 7th Permanent Memorial. The committee recommends it. It is beautiful, meaningful, and affordable. Please vote to approve it on March 24th.
Thank you.
13. Erica Felsenthal (second letter)
I am unable to be there in person today, but I wanted my voice to be part of this moment. I respectfully offer my strong support for the October 7 Memorial Sculpture.
This memorial is not only about honoring lives lost—it is about bearing witness. It is about acknowledging profound pain, honoring resilience, and ensuring that remembrance has a place within the heart of our community.
The specific design before you has already been thoughtfully reviewed and approved by the ad hoc committee, reflecting a careful and intentional process. That matters. It speaks to the level of respect, consideration, and collaboration that has gone into bringing this forward.
At a time when division and silence can feel overwhelming, creating a visible space for reflection, education, and shared humanity is not just meaningful—it is necessary. Memorials like this remind us not only of what was lost, but of who we choose to be in response.
I respectfully urge the Council to move forward with this sculpture as a lasting symbol of remembrance, dignity, and our collective
commitment to stand firmly against hatred, violence, and forgetting.
14. Former Mayor Julian Gold, M.D.
As you know, I was Mayor during the October 7 massacre. In its aftermath, I worked with the Consul General of Israel to create the flag memorial in Beverly Gardens Park. We brought countless people to walk amongst those flags, to feel the weight of the lost souls and to create an almost hallowed space of remembrance in our city. I still get goosebumps when I think of walking within those flags. I was honored when appointed to the permanent memorial committee. I, and the city councils, are firmly committed to a permanent space in our city which honors those lost. I envisioned a permanent memorial which evoked the same feeling as the flags, one of sadness and mourning, but also one of hope. For me, if there was to be a monument, it must evoke emotion to the viewer.Our first choice for this project achieved that emotion in me. It is unfortunate that for both cost and logistic issues, we cannot create it. You are being asked to consider the runner up project. I cannot support that project. I think the rusted steel is unappealing and perhaps unsightly. The later rendition in stainless still is visually better but leaves many questions unanswered-how hot will it get, will the sun’s reflection be dangerous to drivers, where and how will it be positioned to be impactful. Beyond that, it still does not evoke the emotion I sought in this memorial. The artist has a good story and while I appreciate that, this piece is about those who died that day. There is no correct answer with art; this leaves me cold.
Any sense of urgency to get this done is artificial. You don’t have the money. You don’t have a complete design. The
land isn’t going anywhere. You have time to revisit the design, perhaps solicit others, before you commit any more money and while you collect the money already promised.
I reiterate. I am completely committed to the creation of an October 7 Memorial. I just don’t think this is the right one.
15. Pamela Beck
I wanted to explain why I have lent my name to the letter supporting the second-choice Oct. 7
th proposal.
While I may not be keen on the aesthetic of the proposal design, both the sculpture and the garden as
currently rendered (though I do prefer the stainless
steel material), I have added my support because I am concerned about the project losing momentum and falling by the wayside.
If this second design is not approved, I would like to see clear assurance from the City Council that the memorial project will remain a priority and continue to move forward. I want to be sure there is no risk of the project being set aside.
I wish I could be at the meeting, but I’m out of town.