Philadelphia

Breaking Ground on Philadelphia's New Holocaust Memorial Plaza in Memory of 6 Million Jews

A new Holocaust Memorial Plaza that promises to be "a singular place of learning and remembrance" is coming to Philadelphia.

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney joined Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, Center City District CEO Paul Levy and others at Tuesday’s groundbreaking ceremony at 16th Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. 

"In light of the toxic national rhetoric, it's more important than ever that we properly commemorate the victims of the tragedy and never forget this dark period of history," Kenney said.

The new $7-million memorial plaza, funded by the Philadelphia Holocaust Remembrance Foundation, features Six Pillars, concentration camp train tracks, a tree grove, the Theresienstadt Tree and an eternal flame. It will be built around the existing Monument to Six Million Jewish Martyrs that remembers the six million Jewish people killed by the Nazis during the Holocaust.

The Plaza includes "elements that showcase how American constitutional protections and values can prevent crimes against humanity from being committed," organizers say.

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