66 | OCTOBER 17 • 2024 J
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Looking Back
One Survivor’s Dedication
T
he date Sept. 16 was a special anniversary for the Metro Detroit Jewish
community. On this day 40 years ago, the Holocaust Memorial Center in
Farmington Hills was dedicated. When the original Holocaust Center debuted
on the campus of the Jewish Community Center in West Bloomfield, it was the
first freestanding institution in America devoted to the memory and study of the
Holocaust.
The holocaust center was renamed the Zekelman Holocaust Center
in 2022 to honor the Zekelman family. The Zekelmans have provided
substantial donations to the Center for many years.
The current Zekelman Holocaust Center in Farmington Hills opened
in 2004. It is nearly five times larger than the first building and boasts
a museum (with a core exhibit that was freshly renovated in 2024);
special exhibit areas; meeting rooms and offices; and an important
and extensive research library and archives. Every year, the Center also
develops and delivers a host of innovative educational programs for
visitors and students.
To say the least, the Zekelman Holocaust Center is an impressive structure that
holds, preserves and provides access to an array of significant historical exhibits and
collections. It is also the culmination of one person’s vision, many years of planning,
hours and hours of volunteer efforts, and donations from thousands of supporters.
The Center began as the dream of Rabbi Charles Rosenzveig (1920-2008). Michael
Weiss of Oak Park captured Rosenzveig’s determination: “When you looked into
his eyes, you could always see him thinking about what else he could bring to the
museum. That vision … not too many people have that.” Dr. David Silbert, a Center
board member in 2005, stated that, although the rabbi was polarizing at times, “The
guy is amazing!”
I found Rabbi Rosenzveig’s name on 323 pages in the William Davidson Digital
Archive of Jewish Detroit History. More than 500 pages in the Archive have content
about the Center.
Rabbi Rosenzveig was born in Poland. When Germany invaded Poland in 1939, he
migrated to the Soviet Union, where he spent hard time in a work camp. He met his
wife, Helen, while in Kazakhstan. Although Rosenzveig escaped the Holocaust, his
mother and younger brother were lost in the Shoah.
The rabbi spent time in Poland, Czechoslovakia and France after the war before
moving to New York in 1947. He attended Yeshiva University and was ordained in
1949.
After moving to Detroit, the Rosenzveigs joined the local Survivors organization, Shaarit Haplaytah (“The
Remnant”). In 1964, Rabbi Rosenzveig announced his dream of a memorial institution. Twenty years later, he brought
it to fruition. Constantly seeking improvements, he also oversaw renovations in 1992 and the building of the new
facility in 2004.
The Center was dedicated on Sept. 16, 1984. An estimated 1,500 supporters attended the occasion. Keynote speaker,
U.S. Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick, declared that it is “our solemn duty” to remember the Holocaust. Michigan Gov.
James Blanchard remarked, “Remembering must not simply be a Jewish experience, but a human experience.”
Rabbi Charles Rosenzveig died on Dec. 11, 2008, and is buried in Jerusalem. His legacy, the Zekelman Holocaust
Center, is a physical reminder of his dream and of the idea that we must “never forget.”
The Holocaust Center will celebrate its 40th anniversary on Nov. 10. To attend, visit holocaustcenter.org/event/40th-anniversary-benefit.
Mike Smith
Alene and
Graham Landau
Archivist Chair
From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History
accessible at thejewishnews.com