Lay-lah, Lay-lah Holocaust Mural Dedication

The Philadelphia Holocaust Remembrance Foundation and Mural Arts Philadelphia gather with civic leaders to dedicate a 2,500-square-foot mural by artist Ella Ponizovsky Bergelson that will serve as the nation’s first large-scale mural dedicated to Holocaust memory in a public space.

Entitled Lay-lah, Lay-lah, the mural uses hand-painted calligraphy in 28 languages as visual storytelling, drawing from ancient to contemporary influences.

Rather than depicting specific historical events, the artwork explores memory, displacement, and resilience through language, positioning the mural as a living archive of cultural survival and diversity in the context of the Holocaust. Composed from public contributions of lullabies, prayers, and poems, the mural reflects not only what has been passed down across generations, but also what has been erased, disrupted, or overwritten.

Located at the Horwitz-Wasserman Holocaust Memorial Plaza on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, the new mural continues a long legacy of Holocaust remembrance at this site as the space is also home to the oldest public Holocaust monument in the United States, enhancing its significance as a site for reflection and education.

Unveiled in the 80th year since the Holocaust’s end, the mural comes at a moment marked by the passing of the survivor generation and a rise in antisemitism.

More information here.