As part of its educational series, the Northern New Jersey Holocaust Memorial & Education Center presented renowned author and lecturer Rabbi Hanoch Teller, who discussed “The Holy Responsibility of Remembrance” at Congregation Rinat Yisrael in Teaneck on April 17.

Rabbi Hanoch Teller used the premise of his book “Heroic Children, Untold Stories of the Unconquerable” to discuss the importance of preserving the stories and memorializing those who were killed in the Holocaust. The book follows the lives of nine child survivors and tells their stories of survival and, in many cases, faith. The book took over 15 years to complete and since its completion two years ago, a number of the subjects have passed away. He discussed the importance of teaching the lessons of the Holocaust year round and expressed how important the proposed Memorial & Education Center will be for the community at large.

Committee Co-Chair Steve Fox discussed how this will be a center for Holocaust education for all faiths and will utilize state-of-the-art, augmented-reality technology that will convey the Holocaust experience on the outdoor memorial. It will be complemented by proprietary space in the Teaneck Library that will house Holocaust testimonies and virtual artifacts from local families. He explained how the Center will work with schools in the community on Holocaust projects all through the year. Chief architect Alan Hantman, FAIA, discussed the features of the memorial section as well as the proposed renovations to the library to accommodate both the Holocaust Memorial & Education Center as well as a memorial for enslaved Africans.

The lecture was extremely well received and the committee plans for additional programs throughout the year. To donate to this project or for more information, please go to nnjHolocaustmemorial.org.