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The successful entrepreneur Jacques Levi Lassen (1884-1962) was completely defeated when he returned to his home town of The Hague a year after the Second World War from his safe haven in New York. The flourishing Jewish shopping district in the heart of the city (around 2000 developed into The Hague's China Town) had been completely depopulated. Of the 17,000 Jews, about 2,000 remained.

In memory of the old neighbourhood and its inhabitants, Lassen, who was a ladies' fashion merchant and property developer, bought up properties on Gedempte Gracht. He spent the rest of his life redeveloping the 'Vanished Neighbourhood'. In 1957, he set up a foundation: the Levi Lassen Foundation. His wish to erect a monument was fulfilled posthumously. On 12 October 1967, a memorial was unveiled at the opening of the foundation's new building at Gedempte Gracht 40.

This memorial is from the hand of sculptor Dick Stins. Earlier this sculptor made, for instance, 'Adelaar, monument for fallen comrades' for the military airbase in Soesterberg (1948). As was customary at the time, he also produced a realistic relief in The Hague. It was a monumental Star of David in which father, mother and child seek protection. At the bottom of the star, the sculptor placed a seated figure. The whole thing was originally mounted together with the following text on a wall covered with white stone:

Remember what Amalek has done to you...

... do not forget it

Deut: 25.17.19'

This quotation from the Bible's book of Deuteronomy refers to the story of Amalek, Esau's grandson, who with his people was the archenemy of the Israelites.

At the beginning of the 21st century, redevelopment took place again in the same area. The monument is successively stored for a few years, is located on the masonry of the new Spuimarkt building from the end of 2007 to 2018, and since 2018 is part of the large Jewish monument on the Rabbijn Maarsenplein.