Holocaust Memorial Proposed in Teaneck Park

A proposal to build a Holocaust memorial and tolerance education center in a section of Andreas Park was met with mixed reactions at Tuesday's council meeting. 

The preliminary plan calls for a two-story education center with virtual exhibits at a carriage house in the park's northern end. A small reflective pool memorializing the Holocaust would be constructed nearby. 

"We believe that this would be a wonderful addition to our beautiful township and become the first public Holocaust memorial in Bergen County," said Steve Fox, a co-chair of the committee developing the plan. "It will also be the first educational center of its kind in the state."

The project remains conceptual with much of the details still being worked out, but supporters stressed they would not tarnish the nearby Hackensack River Greenway and said they continue to collect input from a range of local organizations. 

'It's a project that we can all be able to be proud of and be an example of how a township can work together for the common good," Fox told council members. 

The center, Fox said, would also include exhibits on other global genocides. 

No taxpayer funds would be used for the project, said Bruce Prince, a co-chair of the committee. Volunteers and educators from various institutions could help staff the facility. 

Councilman Henry Pruitt said he wasn't against the concept, but questioned if the center could educate visitors on a range of ethnic persecution and genocide throughout history, not only the Holocaust. 

"This could truly make Teaneck a destination for people who want to learn about world wide atrocities," Pruitt said. "The question is whether or not there should be a permanent Holocaust exhibit as part of that. We ought to talk about it."

Fox said the project's potential donors wanted a Holocaust remembrance. 

"We are not looking to build a genocide education center without a Holocaust memorial," he said. 

Township resident Lillian Lewis echoed Pruitt's suggestion that the design mark painful historical events outside of the Holocaust and involve other Teaneck groups. 

Laura Mausner, a Teaneck resident, told the council she opposed the project because the memorial would interfere with the relaxing riverfront trail. 

"It is possible to oppose this proposal while respecting the memories of the victims of the Holocaust," she said. "A Holocaust memorial on the tranquil spot where the carriage house stands is totally inappropriate."

The project's designer, David Abecassis, said the center would be largely hidden from view in a lowered section and provide a peaceful area that fit in with the surrounding green space. It was not clear if the carriage house would be torn down, but the plan called for keeping the same building footprint. 

"It's not something that's jarring," he said. 

Council members were only being asked to hear the proposal before clearing the way for the committee to start preliminary talks with town officials about the concept. 

Clarification: The Township Council approved having the town manager and committee members move forward to discuss the concept for the educational center and Holocaust memorial at Andreas Park. 

"The next step for us is to authorize the manager to start having discussions with the committee for the memorial and Holocaust center," said Teaneck Mayor Mohammed Hameeduddin. 

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