There is one particular debate that I have had more than once when traveling. It is an intensely personal subject and each traveler must make a decision regarding it that is best for their own life. . . for their own psyche. I am talking about whether or not to visit Holocaust sites. For many older travelers, it hits too close to home. They will tell you that they remember WWII and do not need a museum to remind them. However, I am under 50 years old and my generation and the generations coming along behind me are responsible for making sure the truth is never forgotten or repeated.
I am selective. I have only been to one site in Italy. Many people are familiar with the Florida Holocaust Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida. It is one of the most well-known museums of its kind in America besides the one in Washington, DC. I have plans to visit there soon. In the meantime, I found a slightly different option and was really glad that I gave it a chance.
The Craig and Barbara Weiner Holocaust Reflection and Resource Center is located at Nova Southeastern University. It is part of the campus library. Between that fact and the lifelong endowment that the Weiners have set up, the center will always be free to visit for anyone who wishes to learn more.
I have seen a survivor speak at my synagogue. I have said the Mourner’s Kaddish (prayer for the dead) for those we lost. To be fair, I should say that I stumbled through the Mourner’s Kaddish because it is, in my opinion, one of the most difficult Hebrew prayers to recite. I studied secondary education in college, meaning I read a lot of books on this subject from various points of view. None of this means I know everything.
The resource center is comprised of three rooms. The two larger rooms house the artifacts, plaques and other educational materials including multiple video screens with documentaries showing on looped feeds. The first room gives visitors who might not be as familiar with the subject matter some basics, like a good definition of “holocaust” and a few statistics on the Jewish population in Europe (and Germany specifically).
The curators have collected actual passports (stamped with a “J” for “Jew) and fabric gold stars removed from clothing. There are letters, diaries and documents galore to view.
The second room seemed to focus a little more on what life was like for persecuted groups both in the ghettos and in the camps. For example, there was a sample of a “Ghetto Kronen.” This fake currency was designed and used by the Nazis to convince the Red Cross and other outside visitors that those living in the camps were participating on daily life activities in a similar manner to what they would be experiencing if they were living outside the camps. The picture below explains the system best.
I had heard that prisoners who could play musical instruments were forced to play for high-ranking Nazis. I did not know that nearly every prison and camp had a full inmate orchestra. They were made to play as the cattle cars of new prisoners arrived. This kept the new arrivals calm and convinced them that they had arrived somewhere nice.
The beautiful violin in the picture below has a Star of David embedded in the back. Inside the hollow body, is a note that dedicates the instrument to the 100,000 people killed in the Ponary Massacre in Lithuania. Of the 100,000 that were killed, 70,000 were Jews. The others were Poles and Russians.
Political prisoners were another group that were often spirited away in the dark of night and never heard from again. Some were Communists and others were simply people who chose not to join the “right” groups or refused to force their children to participate in Hitler Youth activities. Here is a work camp uniform from a former police officer who fell into disfavor with the government. The symbol before the number denotes a political prisoner.
The third room houses the one major feature that this resource center has that other museums of this kind in the South do not have. Interactive Survivor Biographies. There is a book of questions available (or you can pose an original one). You speak the question into the microphone and the keywords you uttered prompt a video testimony by a survivor to play. How it works is explained in this CNN story clip: Pinchas Gutter CNN from Craig Weiner on Vimeo
I asked Mr. Gutter how he felt about the ordinary German citizens who looked the other way during the rise of the Nazis. He said when the war ended, he was offered reparations and he refused them because he didn’t want “their blood money.” He didn’t want to have anything to do with Germany or the German people at all. Over the years, he has come to realize that every place has good people and “not-so-good people.” He acknowledges that he can’t judge an entire society on the behavior of some. His capacity for understanding and sympathy is humbling.
My two hours in the resource center were time well-spent. I strongly encourage everyone under the age of 50 to visit a museum dedicated to Holocaust education. We are the generations who must keep the truth alive. I encourage everyone to swallow your personal discomfort with the subject matter for a few hours. The Weiner Holocaust Reflection and Resource Center is open during the campus library’s hours seven days/week.
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