The Price Family Holocaust Memorial is designed to address one of the most painful chapters in mankind's history: the systematic attempt to eliminate the Jewish people between 1933-1945. Two elements comprise this memorial: an exhibition gallery and a garden. The exhibition informs and teaches; the memorial inspires and provides space for contemplation.
The exhibition is presented on six panels which provide visitors with historical information on the rise of Nazism, its impact and consequences, liberation from its tyranny and the aftermath of its destruction. One of the six panels is dedicated to the story of John Price and other Salt Lake City residents whose lives were forever changed by these events.
The garden is a contemplative space. Whether one ponders the Holocaust alone or with friends and family, there are places to sit, opportunities to explore and events to remember. The Holocaust in this context becomes emblematic of the value of human life and the fragile nature of our freedom.
Abstract and, at the same time, authentic in its materials and images, the garden's elements are provocative. There are no specific or implicit references to the concentration camps, the Nazi regime or other abuses of war. Instead, the garden is a tribute to the Jewish people and their miraculous story of survival and rebirth.
The Holocaust caused the rich diversity of the Jewish people to be lost, their culture decimated, their homes and families lost. The image of a house torn apart serves as a metaphoric underpinning of the garden's design. The basic elements of a traditional home — a wall, a roof, a bed, a bookshelf, a window — are built of wood and steel. Each is reinterpreted and represented in this new context. Water cascades over a wall, filtered light streams through spaces in a wood plank roof, a bed of flowers speaks to the healing and solemn grace of nature.
The hope is that no visitor to the garden will leave unchanged — that through an understanding of the Holocaust's history and a response to the garden's materials and images, all who come will be touched by the beauty and endurance of the human spirit.