We are excited to announce internationally renowned architect Daniel Libeskind will serve as the lead architect to rebuild and reimagine the Tree of Life in Pittsburgh as a part of the effort to transform a site of tragedy and hate into one of hope, remembrance, and education.
The unanimous selection of Libeskind by Tree of Life’s Board of Trustees and Steering Committee comes as Tree of Life embarks on its forthcoming REMEMBER. REBUILD. RENEW. campaign, an effort that marks a new beginning for the community in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood that just two and half years ago experienced the worst antisemitic attack in United States history.
“It is with a great sense of urgency and meaning that I join the Tree of Life to create a new center in Pittsburgh,” said architect Daniel Libeskind, who designed the Jewish Museum in Berlin and the World Trade Center Master Plan in New York City after 9/11. “Our team is committed to creating a powerful and memorable space that addresses the worst antisemitic attack in United States history. When my parents, survivors of the Holocaust, and I came as immigrants to America, we felt an air of freedom as Jews in this country. That is why this project is not simply about ‘Never Again.’ It is a project that must address the persistence of antisemitism and the intolerance of our time and affirm the democratic values of our country.”
Studio Daniel Libeskind, in collaboration with Rothschild Doyno Collaborative of Pittsburgh, is tasked with creating a cooperative and collaborative space, located at the site of Tree of Life, that includes spaces for worship, reflection and commemoration of the horrific events of October 27, 2018, classrooms and educational programming as well as a new home for exhibitions and public programs of the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh.
Check out the full story and coverage in the New York Times HERE.