Tal Senior Architects (TSA) won 1st Prize in an open public competition in 2010 to design the Memorial for the remembrance of one and half million Jewish children exterminated in the Holocaust.

About 60 architects, sculptures, and designers participated in the 1st stage of this national open competition. Five competitors were selected in 2010 to participate in the 2nd stage, where a specific site for the memorial in the city of Holon was assigned to the project.

In the 2nd stage, all 5 competitors submitted an extensive design for the memorial, a detailed plan for the site, a model, and computer-generated renderings.

The TSA Memorial design was awarded 1st Prize during 2010 and we were requested to start the long procedure of applying for a building permit, to prepare the detailed design, to form a construction team and start construction of the Memorial.

A few months later, when the construction cost was submitted by TSA, the Municipality halted the Memorial project and asked to examine again the other 4 proposals that reached the 2nd Stage.

A month later, TSA was given again the OK to continue with the procedure and a few months later the municipality’s Engineering department awarded a Building Permit for the Memorial project.

While TSA and specialist contractors were preparing to start construction on site during 2010, after a long tender process, the municipality informed us there was no budget for the Memorial and the project was stopped.

Various attempts by the Municipality to receive donations were unsuccessful and the construction of the Memorial was frozen for over a year.

In 2012, the Municipality urged TSA to urgently resuscitate the construction of the Memorial. The plan was to build it on a new site next to a new Public building designed by TSA as part of a complex dedicated to the Holocaust.

TSA designed the complex which included: the Public building, the Memorial and the landscape design around the two projects. TSA completed most of the detailed design for the projects, the tender documents, and the elaborate design coordination between the many consultants. The building permit for the Public building was almost issued.

During 2013, the Municipality informed TSA again that there is no budget for both projects and work on both projects was stopped completely.

The Memorial project is of great public importance. Many old Holocaust survivors expected the wining scheme to be built. The TSA winning design scheme was published widely in the media and carried a strong meaning and content.

The Memorial brought a unique educational message, where school children from all over Israel collected 1.5 million Marbles to be incorporated into the Memorial in a unique and original way.
The hope, belief, dedication and positive approach TSA has practiced in both above projects will act as tools for the realization in the future of this important and unique Memorial.