Let’s walk through the Hall of Names. There’s such a solemn sanctity to this conical structure located at the end of one’s journey recounting the horrors of the Holocaust. I step quietly out onto the bridge, looking down into the black abyss-like space below my feet. As I approach the dais and look up into the cone, hundreds of images of victims swirl into the ceiling above. Gazing below, I view the white Israeli limestone of Mount Herzl cut deep into the ground. A black pool, reflecting the cone of images above, acts as a reminder of the unknown victims fading from the world’s memory. Surrounding the cone stands stacks of black shelves, full of black books with white Hebrew lettering. Over four million names of individuals murdered in the Holocaust are etched into these books; however, the shelves remain unfilled for the several million more unknown to this day. Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem, Israel utilizes architecture to tell a story of humanity’s capacity to destroy itself in an incredibly emotional way. 

The current design of the Yad Vashem complex was completed in 2005 by Moshe Safdie and Safdie Architects. Safdie, who was born in Israel and remains a proud Israeli citizen, has constructed some of the most recognizable buildings of the 21st century within the architecture world. These include the Marina Bay Sands resort and the world-renowned Singapore Changi International Airport in Singapore. Yad Vashem, although more modest in its approach in contrast to the firm’s other imposing and glimmering structures, symbolizes strength and resilience. With a prism-shaped design, Yad Vashem is built directly into Jerusalem’s Mount Herzl, which is also known as the Mountain of Remembrance. Safdie desired to ensure that the natural beauty of the landscape would remain a critical aspect of the complex when purposefully placing the bulk of the structure underground. 

Upon descending into the Yad Vashem museum, one turns to face a gray, brutalist tunnel with a small glimmer of light at the end. This was done with great symbolism in mind. One assumes that the path to the end of the tunnel is clear, but upon closer inspection, one realizes that this open walkway is blocked with pits that make it impossible to walk across. Instead, visitors must traverse the entirety of the museum exhibits in a chronological, zig-zagged approach. This symbolizes the great struggle of the Jewish people during the Holocaust where their hope was diminished by endless challenges surrounding death and destruction. 

After walking through the emotional exhibits full of artifacts, literature, and projection technology that attempts to grasp the sheer complexity and size of the Holocaust, and passing through the Hall of Names, one leaves the museum via a grand balcony looking into the valley below. The stunning view of the Jerusalem suburbs, dotted with pastoral hills and green cypress trees, represents the importance of Israel as a land where the Jewish people can find safety after endless centuries of oppression. 

If you ever get the chance to visit Israel and the city of Jerusalem, I strongly recommend exploring the Yad Vashem complex. Its gardens, memorials and beautiful museum paint a picture of hope and remembrance while recalling one of the greatest horrors in human history.