A multimedia mixture of sound, film, photographs and artifacts tells the story of the Holocaust in a way that engages the visitor's mind and heart. The exhibit advocates and educates at the same time, telling a story and teaching lessons. The design team collected thousands upon thousands of photographs and artifacts, determined to personalize a story that has too many faces to fathom. The pictures are unbelievably powerful. This portion forces the visitor to remember that the Jews had a vibrant and active culture before the Holocaust, and does not allow the images of naked bodies plowed under by bulldozers to depersonalize the tragedy of the Holocaust.
Effort is made to explicate the stories of the victims, through text, film and photograph.
Unlike several other plans which were considered and rejected, the exhibit does not fit the Holocaust into a redemption scheme. The ending is contemplative but not overly hopeful. Architectural elements complement the exhibit and evoke aspects of the Holocaust. An actual boxcar from one of the trains that carried prisoners is used as a conduit, and replicas of the wall surrounding the Warsaw ghetto and the gate to Auschwitz are presented. Paving stones from the ghetto are inserted in the floor.