2018 Fall Bearing Witness Magazine

EXPANS ION

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World War II-era Railcar and Danish Rescue Boat Move Into Their Permanent Home

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n January 2018, construction began and two of the Museum’s most iconic artifacts, the 1942 World War II-era Railcar and the

In April, donors and board members ceremoniously tossed multiples of 18 pennies into the foundation of the new Museum. In Judaism, the number 18 is synonymous with the word “chai,” meaning “life” in Hebrew. The group was joined by Rabbi Brian Strauss who spoke of the significance of the Museum’s new building. In May, the boat and railcar were once again moved in a crane “flyover” into their permanent home inside the future Museum, currently under construction at 5401 Caroline Street. The artifacts, formally located outside of the Museum,

were moved indoors for preservation as construction of the new 57,000-square- foot building continued around them. The new building's exterior walls are finished with brick on the north, west and east elevations, giving passersby the first glimpse of what the completed building will look like. In early 2019, exhibition designers Ralph Applebaum and Associates will begin installation of the permanent Holocaust Gallery, Bearing Witness: A Community Remembers , the Human Rights Gallery and the Rhona and Bruce Caress Gallery, "And Still I Write" Young Diarists on War and Genocide.

Danish Rescue Boat, were moved in a crane “flyover” to a temporary location and housed under a 50’ X 60’ industrial canopy. The 1942 World War II-era Railcar, the type used to carry thousands of Jews and other innocent victims to their deaths during the Holocaust, was located by the Museum in Blankenburg, Germany in 2005. It was acquired, refurbished and opened as part of the Museum’s permanent collection in December 2005.

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This page: 1: The Museum’s exterior walls being finished with brick. 2: HMH Director of Collections and Exhibitions Carol Manley, HMH Assistant Curator JT Buzanga 3: The Danish Rescue Boat being moved by crane. 4: The WWII-era Railcar being moved to its permanent home. 5: Tamara Savage, Dr. Kelly J. Zúñiga, Velva G. Levine

6: Gary Markowitz, Gail Klein, Mark Mucasey 7: Holocaust Survivor Chaja Verveer being interviewed about the first boat and railcar “flyover.” 8: Eileen Weisman and Shirley Morgan take part in a ceremony to bring good luck to the new building. 9: Gary Markowitz tosses 18 pennies into the foundation of the new building.

Top Photo: The WWII-era Railcar being moved to a temporary location for the start of construction.

4 | HOLOCAUST MUSEUM HOUSTON

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