Our goals for the memorial is two fold: to perpetuate the memory of the Holocaust and assure that the legacies of the six million Jews who perished will never be forgotten, and to educate people of all ages and backgrounds about the horrors and atrocities that defined the Holocaust. Now that the site has been approved on the Teaneck Municipal Green, an innovative architectural design and high-tech educational component are being developed for the memorial to play an integral role in fostering community dialog, understanding, respect and sense of civic responsibility.
A fundamental goal of the memorial is to pay tribute to the victims of the holocaust and provide a space for members of the Bergen County Community to inscribe the names of loved ones who were killed during the Shoa. The memorial will provide space for two thousand names to be put on granite tablets that will line the inner circumference of the memorial. This will enable families to bring their children and grandchildren to pay tribute to their ancestors and remember those who were killed. No other holocaust memorial in our region offers such dedication opportunities.
The educational component of the Holocaust Memorial and Education project will be supported by the internationally recognized exhibit design firm of Ralph Applebaum Associates, which has worked on such major commissions as the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and Newseum in Washington DC, the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, and the Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center in Moscow, Russia.
The educational heart of the design will be a 50-foot long “reading rail” using state-of-the-art technologies. The exhibition space will convey an overview of holocaust history and focus specifically on local survivor testimonies. The educational component of the outdoor exhibit will be reinforced by opportunities for enhanced learning through multimedia technologies and discussion both on the site and within the Teaneck Library.
How Can I Get Involved?
Up to approximately 2,000 names, available for purchase, can be inscribed on granite stones to memorialize those who perished in the Holocaust. The entire community can be involved in supporting this important project though our various sponsorship opportunities.