The city will build a Holocaust memorial garden at Queens Borough Hall to honor the 6 million Jews killed by the Nazis before and during World War II.
Outgoing Mayor Eric Adams and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards agreed to kick in $4 million in capital funds combined, while the borough’s state lawmakers said they will request another $2 million.
“It is not enough to say ‘never again’ — we have to live it with our actions too,” Adams said in a statement. “By preserving the stories of both victims and survivors, by creating a permanent space for remembrance and reflection, by promoting understanding and solidarity across generations, this memorial will live out the meaning of ‘never again.’”
Queens Borough Hall is planning to build a Holocaust memorial garden. Handed to NY Post
Mayor Eric Adams and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards agreed to kick in $4 million in capital funds. Stephen Yang for the NY Post
The garden is being built to honor the 6 million Jews killed by the Nazis before and during World War II. Handed to NY Post
The project will likely be completed during Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s term in office, which begins next year.
The Queens Jewish Community Council first proposed the Holocaust Memorial three years ago, and a dedication ceremony was held Tuesday at Queens Borough Hall with elected officials.
When completed, the Queens Holocaust Memorial will be the first major memorial dedicated to the horror in the borough.
The borough president said he’s thrilled that property at Queens Borough Hall will be home to the Holocaust Memorial.
“The Queens Holocaust Memorial will not only pay a touching tribute to the 6 million innocent Jews murdered by the Nazis and the survivors who settled in our borough afterward, but it will also serve as daily inspiration for our fight to forge a future free of anti-Semitism,” Richards said.
The city is home to more Holocaust survivors than anywhere in the world.
State Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Queens) vowed to allocate $1 million in state capital funding to support the project, and Assemblyman Sam Berger (D-Queens) said he would request additional legislative funding.
The project will likely be completed during Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s term in office. Handed to NY Post
The city is home to more Holocaust survivors than anywhere in the world. Handed to NY Post
“Many Holocaust survivors, my grandparents among them, came to Forest Hills seeking safety, dignity, and a chance to start again. They didn’t just rebuild their own lives. They helped build Queens,” Berger said.
The city will advance a formal design process to build a commemorative garden and public artwork. The artist selection process will be led by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs’ “Percent for Art” program in consultation with artists, historians, and Holocaust survivors.
Architecture firm Rafael Viñoly Architects has already drawn up conceptual images of what the memorial would look like for the Queens Jewish Community Council. It features two cylindrical rings, including one with a small reflection pool surrounded by grass and trees near the eastern entrance of Borough Hall across from the courthouse.
“This Holocaust Memorial Garden we begin to build today, is a reminder of what can happen if we forget the past. It will also serve to keep our focus on the present, while we hope for our future,” said Michael Nussbaum, chairman of Holocaust Memorial Garden and former head of the Queens JCC.
“The Memorial Garden will be a place where anyone can come to reflect and seek peace,” he added.