Boston boasts some of the best museums in the world. But until now, not one has focused exclusively on the study of the Holocaust.
That absence struck a chord with Todd Ruderman and Jody Kipnis, co-founders of the Holocaust Legacy Foundation.
“[Boston] has a beautiful memorial. And it needs a museum. We deserve it,” said Ruderman.
That vision became one step closer to reality Thursday as the Holocaust Museum Boston held its groundbreaking ceremony at the intersection of Tremont Street and Hamilton Place downtown. The museum, which organizers say will be the first of its kind in New England, is set to open late next year.
Organizers say it’s appropriate that the museum will sit along the Freedom Trail, and just a stone’s throw from the Massachusetts State House. The museum aims to educate visitors about the tragic era, in which state-sponsored persecution led to the murder of millions of Jews. It will also highlight the modern threats of antisemitism and bigotry.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, one of several public officials at the event, said Boston is committed to the future while honoring and remembering the past.
She thanked Kipnis and Ruderman for their trust in bringing the museum to Boston.
“I am proud to lead a city where we take that trust extremely seriously and we celebrate and cherish the partnerships that have lasted more than a century with our Jewish community. And that will last many centuries to come,” Wu said.
Massachusetts Senate President Karen Spilka, whose grandfather fled Russia to escape religious and political persecution, said she was proud to have partnered with the state House of Representatives to secure $10 million in funding for the project.
“One museum, we know, cannot heal the world,” Spilka said. “But together we can continue that important work. And that’s why it is so important to have this museum and education center — to be the focus of our efforts to ensure that 'Never Again’ is more than just words.”
Kipnis said the museum will make sure that the lessons of that painful time will be told and remembered. She noted that many of the remaining Holocaust survivors are aging, while reports of antisemitic incidents are on the rise.
“This museum calls to each of us to something higher,” Kipnis said. “It challenges us to choose courage over comfort, truth over convenience.”
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