$80-million investment: Montreal Holocaust Museum announces the construction of a new museum on Saint-Laurent Boulevard

MONTREAL, Feb. 7, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - The Montreal Holocaust Museum (MHM) is proud to announce the construction of a new museum. The facility will open in 2025 at 3535 Saint-Laurent Boulevard in the Plateau Mont-Royal borough. This important project addresses growing public interest and demand from the education community for opportunities to learn about the history of the Holocaust, genocide, human rights, and the fight against racism and antisemitism.

This is an $80-million project with contributions from the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications du Québec ($20 million), the Azrieli Foundation ($15 million) and numerous private donors who have contributed to the Museum through its Give Voice fundraising campaign.

Modern, spacious, and at the cutting edge of museum innovation and technology, the new MHM will accommodate a greater number of visitors eager to hear the inspiring and resilient stories of Holocaust survivors who rebuilt their lives in Montreal. The architecture firm selected for the design of the new Museum will be announced in July 2022 following an international competition launched in the fall of 2021.

The new Museum will feature:

• Larger permanent and temporary exhibition spaces
• A youth area and interactive hologram survivor testimonies
• State-of-the-art classrooms
• A 150-seat auditorium
• A commemorative space
• A memorial garden

The history of the Holocaust is a local one, as approximately 40,000 survivors built new lives in Canada, including 9,000 of whom settled in Montreal. With the largest Holocaust-related collection in the country including over 13,500 objects and 858 recorded video testimonies, travelling and virtual exhibitions, educational tools and teacher training programs offered across Canada, the Montreal Holocaust Museum promotes the collective duty of remembrance and civic engagement to create a more just and socially responsible world.

Benoît Charette, Quebec's Minister Responsible for the Fight Against Racism, said: "This announcement is very good news. In addition to addressing the Museum's needs to meet its growing appeal, it demonstrates our government's commitment to fighting all forms of racism and prejudice. I salute this remarkable institution's contribution to promoting respect for diversity among citizens."

Richard Schnurbach, President of the Montreal Holocaust Museum, stated: "The new Museum will be ideally located at the crossroads of the city's museum sector and the Quartier des spectacles entertainment hub, in the neighbourhood that once welcomed the Jewish immigrant community. The choice of the former Jewish quarter takes on even more significance as it merges with the history of over 9,000 Holocaust survivors who rebuilt their lives here in Montreal. Our exhibition and collections will highlight their stories and celebrate their diverse contributions to the development and influence of our city."

Daniel Amar, Executive Director of the Montreal Holocaust Museum, noted: "At a time marked by mounting antisemitism, racism, and discrimination against minorities, Holocaust education remains essential to foster awareness and a respect for diversity among citizens. For this reason, and following the example of major cities around the world, Montreal is creating a space to promote historical awareness and build partnerships with communities that are victims of genocide, racism, and persecution." He concluded: "Deeply rooted in Montreal's history, the new Museum will be unifying, inclusive, and a place to come together."

Naomi Azrieli, President and CEO of the Azrieli Foundation and lead donor for the Give Voice campaign stated: "Our moral and financial support for this new Museum is particularly relevant to the Azrieli Foundation, as our founder himself had to flee Nazism. Our organization is deeply committed to initiatives that promote Holocaust remembrance and education. Supporting this project is a reminder of both our duty to remember and the importance of knowledge to prevent history from repeating itself."

About the Montreal Holocaust Museum
The Montreal Holocaust Museum educates people of all ages and backgrounds about the Holocaust, while sensitizing the public to the universal perils of antisemitism, racism, hate, and indifference. Through its Museum, its commemorative programs and educational initiatives, the Montreal Holocaust Museum promotes respect for diversity and the sanctity of human life.

NB: The current Museum will remain open until its move to the new facility.

SOURCE Montreal Holocaust Museum

Sarah Fogg, Head of Communications, Marketing and PR, Montreal Holocaust Museum, [email protected], 514 240-7357