14 | JANUARY 18 • 2024 

As the survivor population 
dwindles, the planning group 
started thinking about how 
best to meet the needs of future 
museum visitors. Mayerfeld 
said the planners realized they 
had the ability to present the 
Holocaust story in a new way, 
one that would ensure the 
survivors’ voices were central. 
“The decision to focus 
on Holocaust victims and 
survivors in the renovation 
is a truly unique approach 
for a Holocaust museum,
” 
said Mark Mulder, director of 
curatorial affairs at The HC, 
who played a major role in the 
renovation. Each gallery topic 
encountered incorporates the 
first-person Jewish experiences 
of survivors, thereby adding 
context to visitors’ knowledge 
of the Holocaust. 
“When we opened here 20 

years ago, visitors would have 
met a survivor,
” Mayerfeld said. 
“Your experience was flavored 
by an individual survivor 
telling his or her story.
” 
Now, the museum is 
designed so survivors’ stories 
are reflected in displays and 
through technology. Visitors 
have a new opportunity to 
“understand the history and 
tragedy of the Holocaust on 
a more personal and human 
level,
” said Dr. Charles 
Silow, longtime director of 
the Program for Holocaust 
Survivors and Families, a 
service of Jewish Senior Life.

MAKING IT HAPPEN
The HC hired Ralph 
Appelbaum Associates (RAA) 
of New York City as its design 
partner for a nearly complete 
renovation of the museum’s 

educational component. 
Founded in 1978, RAA is an 
interdisciplinary creative studio 
dedicated to the planning 
and design of narrative 
environments. 
Mayerfeld said RAA is 
renowned for its work at the 
U.S. Holocaust Memorial 
Museum in Washington, D.C., 
and other Holocaust museums, 
such as one in Houston that 
opened in 2019 and another 
museum in the design phase in 
Lithuania. 
“RAA carried out the vision 
for what we were trying to 
accomplish,
” Mayerfeld said. 

The $31 million investment 
in the renovation of the core 
exhibit is part of a larger 
$100 million comprehensive 
campaign to fund the 
center’s operations, grow 
the endowment and expand 

continued from page 13

Other Partners for 
the Project

Neumann/Smith Architects of 
Southfield created the existing 
building design about 20 
years ago. The design has 
“some very powerful spatial 
metaphors,” according to 
James Cathcart, design lead of 
Ralph Appelbaum Associates 
(RAA) of New York City. 
 Part of the redesigning 
challenge for RAA, in working 
with original architect 
Joel Smith, was to find 
opportunities to integrate the 
content of the new exhibition 
to the existing architecture 
— to create powerful 
relationships between the 
space and the story. 
Design and Production 
(D&P) in Virginia built and 
installed the new exhibition. 
Sachse Construction of 
Detroit also worked with The 
HC in renovating the space.

OUR COMMUNITY
COVER STORY

In a main hall, 
information about Jewish 
life is showcased in a 
way that emphasizes the 
dramatic nature of the 
building’s design. 

OWEN KAUFMAN

continued on page 16

SERVING THE JEWISH COMMUNITY FOR OVER 30 YEARS!

our #1 Bloomfield Hills office agent
for the 13th year in a row with
$70 MILLION SOLD in 2023!

Max Broock Congratulates

4130 TELEGRAPH ROAD • BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI 48302
248.867.7800 MelanieSold.com

NOAH
BISHOP COHEN
The Next Generation of “SOLD”

ns.cohen26@gmail.com

MELANIE
BISHOP

“SOLD” is my middle name

melaniesold@aol.com

OVER 1 BILLION IN CAREER SALES!

Work with the best and expect the best!

Melanie was fantastic! Her knowledge, reputation and experience are second to none. She 
fulfilled every promise she made to us, got us top dollar, and made the entire process stress free 
from start to finish. I highly recommend Melanie to anyone who wants to work with the best!" 

I have had Noah Cohen as my realtor twice, eight years apart. Once was quite early in his
career and one was after he had had substantially more experience. One was for a purchase and 
one was for a sale. He was simply excellent on both occasions. Knowledgeable, professional, 
personable. He takes charge of the process and is as hands on as it's necessary to be in any given 
situation. I strongly recommend Noah for anyone needing a realtor, whether to buy or sell.

This latest purchase was not my first with Melanie and Noah. But this seller was beyond
difficult. Innovative solutions got us over every hurdle. Melanie and Noah are experts
in their field and the results they get prove their expertise. I wouldn’t use anyone else!!

Melanie and Noah are extremely knowledgeable, efficient, and hardworking. In just over
a week we bought a house and sold ours. They had our house beautifully marketed, and
had it sold in 5 days. Melanie was always available and quickly responded to any questions.

Melanie and Noah are everything you want in a capable real estate agent.