Situated in the Village of Skokie, the site of the controversial planned Neo Nazi March of 1978, Michael Berenbaum and Yitzchak Mais (of Mais Directions) were the conceptual developers of the Museum, working closely with its architect, its designer, its staff and Board to develop the 70,000 s.f. building, its permanent exhibition, its children’s exhibition and its special gallery on the Legacy of Absence. They authored the text, assisted in the production and scripting of the films, created the catalogue and helped recruit and develop its staff, collections and archival holdings. Among the features of this Museum is the transition from the Holocaust to Genocide as well as a full interactive exploration of the controversy surrounding the planned neo-Nazi March. They also helped secure major artifacts for the Museum and developed an integrated plan for the collection of artifacts that gave the Museum its distinct ethos. Working with Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation (Now the US Shoah Institute) they also used the Chicagoland survivors to create the many survivor testimony films that punctuate the exhibition. They were integral to the choice of designers and oversaw the design process. Permanent Exhibition designed by Layman Design. Concept and content development partner: Yitzchak Mais
ServicesInterpretive Planning, Conceptual Design, Content Development, Media and FilmLocationSkokie, IllinoisYear2009
