The Montreal Holocaust Museum announced Monday the construction of a new museum that will open in 2025 on Saint-Laurent Boulevard, which is in the heart of what was once the city’s vibrant Jewish neighbourhood.
Construction will begin on the $80-million project in 2023, thanks to a $20-million subsidy from the Quebec culture ministry, $15 million from the Azrieli Foundation and other funding from private and public sources.
The new and more spacious museum will feature larger permanent and temporary exhibition spaces, interactive hologram survivor testimonies, state-of-the-art classrooms, a 150-seat auditorium, and a commemorative space.
Montreal was the third most important destination per capita for Holocaust survivors, after Israel and New York, becoming home to 9,000 of the approximately 40,000 survivors who immigrated to Canada after the Second World War.
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.
Daniel Amar, Executive Director of the Montreal Holocaust Museum, said, “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.”
The current Museum will remain open until its move to the new facility.
