The Northern NJ Holocaust Memorial & Education Center Featured with Steve Fox on JM in the AM

Steve Fox. We haven't said that name on the air in a while. He's an old friend. He has been Wow. I I would I would imagine I could actually ask him since he's sitting in front of me. I wonder if he knows how long ago was his first appearance on JM and the AM. Today he's here because he's co-chair of the Northern New Jersey Holocaust Memorial and Education Center. It's something that I encourage people, as the leadership in Bergen County has done, encourage people to support as it continues to um uh to raise funds to make an impact on the local Jewish community. We'll explain all of that coming up. Steve Fox, a pleasure to welcome you back to JM in the AM. >> I think my first appearance in JM the AM even preceded you was with even Zman Las and with Larry. For what cause? >> For not the Jewish press. >> Not Pak and Pak. Uh I was I was the dinner chairman for Pak for for a number of years. And um whether it was a Pak dinner or when we published not the Jewish press, we were on JM and the AM. >> So did we So you and I probably first met for I assume for a PTA appearance. >> Yes. Yes. >> And um how old is Pak now? How many years? 50 40. I think it's probably close to 50. >> They did a good job, didn't they? >> I think so. >> They did a good job. >> I mean, PTA was um the first Jewish special ed program. >> Help kids with learning disabilities. >> Help kids with learning differences. They're in four different schools uh in New York. They're in um MTA. They're in central. They're in Basako Duff Mayor. They're in Ken Berlin. So they literally were the trailblazers for children with learning differences who wanted a yeshiva education. >> Unbelievable. I'll tell you today you are here for a different cause for a different reason. And one by the way just based on the names that you have affiliated with this project one that has a lot of community support. Community support among leaders and community support among government officials and government officials not only from Tene but surrounding areas as well. We're talking about the Northern New Jersey Holocaust Memorial and Education Center. Tell us how this began. >> So, this is a project that um I conceived many a number of years ago um when I saw that the survivor community was dwindling. My father Alava Shalom was also a Holocaust survivor. He w he escaped the Warso ghetto and he became a partisan and >> came to America in what year? came to America in 1949 after being in DP camp in Italy for four years. And each year we have the um the Yamha Shawan Tene and we generally get about 800 to a,000 people. And each year we ask the survivors to stand up and hold the candle and obviously as the years go by the survivor community has gotten smaller and smaller. So I felt it was very important not just to have an once a year um commemoration for the people for the Holocaust but to create a permanent establishment in the community that would serve the entire region not just Tene but the entire northern New Jersey community and we are setting out to make what will be the largest Holocaust uh memorial in the entire state of New Jersey >> and will be permanent. obviously and and satisfy the goal that you're trying to achieve here. Uh what's been the reaction? I mean, I would assume based on the uh again the rabbitic names, the uh the government names and the leadership names are associated with this. I'm assuming it was enthusiastic, but how would you describe the reaction to your proposal? >> So, everybody really um is in favor of the project. Obviously, we have a good um a good ways to go far as fundraising, but the project has two main components, two very important components. One of them is historical where we plan to have six columns with a center column and each of those columns portrays a an era of the Holocaust from pre-war to liberation. Now what makes this unique is that this will be powered by augmented reality meaning let's say we have one of the columns on the concentration camps there will be pictures there'll be copy but when you point your phone to that column with our app different links will pop up for more information so you might click on link for Avitz and see pictures or you might see somebody's testimony about being an Avitz And this will be true for the entire >> Oh, and you can adjust that as time goes by. I assume >> you can adjust >> continue to add things and >> and everything is on the cloud. Now, the other thing that makes this >> and each column will operate the same way, >> right? Each column will operate the same way. What makes us unique in the world and I don't say this lightly that on the second side we are offering community members, businesses, organizations an opportunity to make dedications to loved ones who were killed or survived the the show and it works the same way. Now you know there's a program called names not numbers. This is faces not names not numbers. Meaning, hypothetically, if we have, let's say, 36 names in one of the columns, so people will be able to dedicate a name for either $500 or $1,000, um, which will have their names, either as individual or couple, and where they were from. But when you point your phone to that column, all their names will pop up. So depending on the level of dedication, when you click on that, you'll be able to see either pictures and copy about who those per that person was or is and if they're still alive or a video, either a video that the donor is talking about their loved one or if they take a clip from the um that person's Holocaust testimony, you'll actually hear that person speaking. >> Who's up on all this latest technology? I'd like to know >> this amazing >> this augmented reality really is a gamecher because you can do so much. Um we're also offering corporations, organizations the place on a sponsor wall where they will also be able to make a dedication and also give a message >> about what they're feel the reason they want to make this dedication. >> It's not just a memorial. It feels more like a museum, more like a, you know, an actual presentation. >> It's an experience. It's it's literally meant to be an experience. Look, most of the young people, and I'm not talking about the yeshiva students, but most of the young people don't know what happened at the Holocaust or don't believe the extent of the uh killings in the Holocaust. So, our aim is not necessarily to preach to the choir. Our aim is to bring school students, churches, synagogues from all over the state to come and listen and learn. And so we also are will be right next to the Tene Library. >> Oh, so where is this exactly? >> This will be on the Tene Municipal Green. The township has given us space on the green. They have not given us any funding as far as construction, but they are giving us space in the green as well as they will give us cameras and security lighting. Um, and it's also near the police station, which is also a good thing, right? >> And if um, let's say a group wants to come and tour the memorial, they'll also be able to make an arrangement with the library to have a follow-up discussion down inside if the weather is inclement. But this is something that literally does not exist in the world. There's no place in the world where you or I or anybody else can say in a public place, I'm going to dedicate something to my parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, whatever. And the public will be able to see who that person was. So this is something that uh I feel very strongly about and we all do that will be a gamecher and we want to both educate people about the various aspects and effects and the lessons of the shawah but we also want to give people in the entire community a place to make a dedication. >> I know that this is you know a real hypothetical but let's say the funding was not an issue. How long does it take to build a project like this? So, um it's going to take probably about four to five months for construction and um >> not crazy. >> Not crazy. And once we get I think um we are hoping to have our funding by the end of the year. We do need for those listening, we need about another $100,000 to put um a shovel in the ground and and get into construction. So, for all of those who are listening and are interested, I'll give you our website. Sure. >> Uh it's njholocaolocmememorial.org. Northern New Jerseyholostmemorial.org. There's a video on our website which shows how the augmented reality works. But just remember that even though this is in Tene and Tene is the largest has the largest Jewish community in Bergen County, we deserve the Jewish people deserve the people who survived the Holocaust, the people who were killed deserve a permanent memorial of substance here in in New Jersey. >> I'm just wondering if there are others in this state of New Jersey. I know Liberty State Park has quite a uh sculpture there that commemorates the liberation after the Holocaust. I don't know if there are that many I don't know if there's anything that that that equals the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York or the Washington Museum or or any other memorial I should say in this state. I don't know if there even exists. >> There isn't. I mean there are places where there are sculptures or small monuments but there's nothing that people will be able to go and have an education. there's nothing that will draw people uh from various parts of the state to come tour. And we hope and here's another interesting point. We've working with Yadvashm as far as creating content which um we've had our committee work for about 6 months with Yadvashm. >> They endorse this project. >> They endorse this project and um they've given us access to their archives. So uh on the columns we're going to have photographs and copy. The photographs will come from Yadvashm. But the interesting thing here is this project is something that's can be exported to other communities. So hypothetically we we would create we create the model we create the educational aspect of it and we can go to another community anywhere in the anywhere in the world and say listen if you like this idea for your community. We will share our educational stuff because it's all in the cloud and can be recreated anywhere and you go to your community and raise the funds and do the same dedications as we're doing. So this is literally something that can be done anywhere in the world. And I my long-term vision is that God willing this is successful. Other communities could take advantage of what we've what we have created and build similar things and spread the Holocaust education to their communities. And I don't want anyone to misunderstand the synagogues, JCC's and other institutions, organizations in the state of New Jersey have done amazing work with their own uh local Holocaust memorials etc. But as you described, there's nothing like this and certainly nothing that could provide the experience that one would get at a museum or a Yadvashm or New York and Washington etc. Here you have an opportunity really to combine both. It's a memorial and one that's going to be very impressive and at the same time it's an educational experience. individual dedications, video dedications, synagogue, school, and corporate dedications are all available. Go to the website, be generous, and once they hit another hundred grand, they're going to be able to start actually building uh this memorial and interactive experience in Tene, New Jersey. It's the Northern New Jersey Holocaust Memorial and Education Center. to uh get more information, to donate, and to uh see the video they have online, go to nnj for northern New Jersey, njholocaustmemorial.org. Again, that's njholocmemorial.org. Mr. Steve Fox, is there anything else you'd like to add, sir? >> Well, first, um I'd like to say that first I want to thank you for having me on the show >> as as always. And um I'd like to just stress to the people listening that this is something that is available to anybody to make um a dedication whether you live in our community or not. Um it's something that is the ultimate tribute. It's the ultimate kiwa. It's the ultimate way to have a permanent public dedication and tribute to a loved one who was either survived or was killed in the show. So, we hope you join us in making this a reality. Again, njholocaustmemorial.org and um it should be an amazing thing and we hope that you participate with us. >> njholocaustmesemorial.org. Steve Fox, thank you and good luck with this. >> Thank you. >> Keep us up to date on its progress. More coming up. You're listening to JM and the AM.