Phoenix Construction: 31,000 Square Feet of Holocaust History Rising Downtown
The new facility aims to serve 50,000 students annually, featuring exhibits on the Nazi rise to power and a dedicated space for survivors.
By Gabriela Ivanov ·
Construction crews are currently erecting a three-story, 31,000-square-foot facility in downtown Phoenix. Located near the Burton Barr Library, the building will house the Hilton Family Holocaust Education Center. It will be the first facility in Arizona dedicated entirely to the history of the Holocaust, the six million Jews killed during the war, and the surviving generation.
Oskar Knoblauch, a 100-year-old survivor, visited the construction site this week. He noted that many people lack a clear understanding of the events unless they were present. Knoblauch, who will turn 101 in November, worked as a slave laborer for the Gestapo headquarters in Krakow alongside his father, brother, and sister. His father was murdered eight months before liberation. Knoblauch has spent years sharing these atrocities with the public.
His narrative will be one of four survivor stories featured in the new center. The project evolved from a traditional museum concept to an education center following a 2021 Arizona law requiring grades 7-12 to study the Holocaust and other genocides. Steve Hilton, the project chairman and son of survivor Sam Hilton, said the group realized they were not teaching the subject effectively enough before the shift.
The center will contain six exhibits, beginning with a perspectives room designed to resemble a Jewish family dining room. Other displays will outline the Nazi rise to power and the transition from persecution to mass murder. A full floor will be dedicated to an Upstander Lab, which invites visitors to connect historical events to modern responses against antisemitism and hate.
Talli Dippold, the center’s president and CEO, stated that studies show students are most impacted when they hear directly from survivors. She cited a new Anti-Defamation League study indicating that many young Americans struggle to recognize antisemitism online. Dippold described antisemitism as a canary in the coal mine, suggesting it reflects the general health of a society.
Steve Hilton, whose father survived five concentration camps, explained that the project aims to make a difference for Arizona school children. The center’s leaders expect to welcome over 50,000 students and visitors annually once operations begin.
Knoblauch expressed hope that he will be alive to see the grand opening. He said seeing the structure halfway complete gives him the motivation to stick around for another year. The project is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2027.
