BOSTON — Boston 25 News took a tour of New England’s first Holocaust museum, currently under construction, on Holocaust Survivor Day.
“These are the central stairs, and the visitor will take their journey through their experience on these stairs,” Jody Kipkins, co-founder of the museum and the Holocaust Legacy Foundation, said on the tour Thursday.
One year into the construction of the Holocaust Museum Boston and the goal remains the same for Kipnis - to take visitors on an educational journey of remembrance back in time.
The location of the museum, overlooking the Massachusetts State House, is symbolic too.
Kipnis said it forces visitors to think about their own freedoms.
“We’re really a part of history here from this location,” Kipnis said. “We have the Freedom Trail, the State House, the burial ground. I couldn’t think of a better location for this museum.”
“Hitler came to power because democracy broke down, and what we want the visitor to understand is, what is freedom? What does that mean to you?” Kipnis explained.
June 4th is recognized as Holocaust Survivor Day, and as the world transitions into a post-survivor era, visitors can expect an immersive experience.
The museum will use technology to interact with holographs of real Holocaust survivors.
On the fourth floor, a historic railcar believed to have been used during the Holocaust will be surrounded by glass and visible from Tremont Street.
“So as the visitors are walking the Freedom Trail, they’re going to watch our visitors walk onto the railcar,” Kipnis said.
The building won’t just be a museum, but six floors of education with three classrooms inside for students.
“This is our multi-purpose room, so we want this to be a space for the community,” Kipnis said on the tour.
The state committed $10 million to the museum, but the majority of funding is coming from donations made to the Holocaust Legacy Foundation.
The museum will be the first of its kind in New England, and Kipnis said she hopes to inspire and teach the community, tourists, and the world for years to come.
“We want visitors to feel empowered; we want them to go out and have the courage to make a difference,” Kipnis said. “We want them to speak up when they need to speak up.”
Following a cold and long winter, Kipnis said the museum is currently on track to open early Spring of 2027.
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