In a push to solidify New York City's remembrance of the Holocaust and combat the escalating antisemitism, Mayor Eric Adams and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards have announced the inception of the "Queens Holocaust Memorial." This public site, earmarked to be built on the grounds of Queens Borough Hall, earmarks a $3 million fund aiming to honor the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust, alongside the survivors who later found refuge and a fresh start in Queens, New York. According to the NYC Mayor's Office, this project will be coordinated by various city departments, and will involve a formal design process for a commemorative garden and public artwork.
The memorial's creation comes against a backdrop of increasing hate crimes and anti-Jewish sentiment. Mayor Adams was clear in his conviction, stating, "It is not enough to say ‘never again’ — we have to live it with our actions too," in a statement obtained by the NYC Mayor's Office. Richards, aligning with the proactive sentiment, underlined the significance of the memorial as a continuous inspiration to strive for a future devoid of antisemitism.
The initiative was first proposed by the Queens Jewish Community Council and has involved collaboration with civic and faith leaders to come to fruition. The City will undertake the formal designation and dedication through a directive by the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS), while also engaging in additional fundraising to advance the design and construction of the site’s commemorative elements. The memorial plans to host an array of programs that include Holocaust remembrance ceremonies, educational initiatives for students, and community events geared towards nurturing understanding as well as cross-generational solidarity.
Educational leaders, like New York State Senator Toby Stavisky, have thrown their weight behind the memorial with fiscal support and emphasis on its role as a living classroom. "This memorial garden will give students and families a place to learn, reflect, and confront the realities of antisemitism and other forms of hate crimes," Stavisky expressed, as conveyed by the NYC Mayor's Office. Speaker Sam Berger, New York State assemblymember, also reflected on the personal impact the Holocaust wrought on families like his own and stressed the memorial’s dual function as a reminder and a testament to resilience.
With New York City housing the largest population of Holocaust survivors in the world, such a memorial not only addresses the city’s historical fabric but serves, as Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz noted, to preserve their stories and "ensure that history never repeats itself." Executive Director of The Blue Card, Masha Pearl, echoed these sentiments, praising the efforts of Mayor Adams and Queens Borough President Richards in realizing what she described as a "beautiful creation" for the enduring honor and remembrance of the Holocaust’s victims, as per the NYC Mayor's Office.
