By Madalyn Minnick, TWR Youth Action Fellow ‘20
A VIRTUAL TOUR THROUGH THE LOS ANGELES HOLOCAUST MUSEUM LOOKS TO THE PAST FOR LESSONS ON THE POWER OF RESILIENCE.
On a Saturday afternoon, the Together We Remember Youth Action Fellows virtually traveled to the Holocaust Museum in Los Angeles. Jordanna Gessler led the tour through the incredible museum of history and remembrance. She taught us about the ten stages of genocide and the history of the Holocaust, shared stories of the survivors associated with the museum, and gave background on the museum’s unique architectural style. The museum’s narrative is designed to make visitors think, explore, and feel in different ways, and while we were not there in person, those powerful messages were conveyed through the screen.
The first gallery we entered is designed to give visitors background on European Jewry.
“In order to study what was lost, we must first understand what there was to lose,” Jordanna explained.
Displays in this gallery include synagogue and holiday-related themes that are essential to Jewish culture. This gallery also shows the persecution Jews faced. A powerful display of dolls demonstrates the changing faces of anti-semitism that berated Jews throughout history and is a reminder of the importance of combating hate. The second gallery chronicles the history leading up to the Holocaust, the rise of Hitler, and the promotion of Nazi propaganda to spread anti-semitic hate. Here, we examined how hate is taught, not inherent. We analyzed the stereotypical images Nazi propaganda took advantage of and how it contributed to the mindset that led to genocide. We also discussed images and slogans in mainstream culture today that may not be understood but still perpetuate hatred in society.
With a flick of the screen, we entered the darkest part of the museum. Not only does the display and architectural setup of the gallery convey darkness, but the subject matter of concentration camps darkens the entire atmosphere. We reflected on the terrifying reality of life in a concentration camp. We also learned about survivors who have had an impact on the museum’s history, including Thomas Blatt, who designed a replication of the Sobibor concentration camp as an artifact for the museum. His inspirational story of courage and resilience led us to the next section of the museum.
Had we been in the museum, the ceilings would have opened and natural light would have flooded in around us. On the screen, the entrance of light was welcome, a symbol of change and hope. This gallery details rescue and resistance. While the Holocaust demonstrated the horrible things people can do to each other, it also showed the courageous things people can do for each other. This notion is depicted by the “Righteous Gentiles” display of heroes who sacrificed themselves to protect Jews that were neighbors, friends, and even strangers. Throughout this section, we heard the incredible stories of survival.
“Maintaining human dignity is a form of resistance” Jordanna reminded us.
In the face of the Holocaust, people were able to do amazing things to help each other and hold on to themselves. This inspirational section of the museum highlighted the importance of speaking up and doing something when bad things happen around us.
The final gallery tells the story of the liberation of the concentration camps as the war came to an end. Here, the museum shares images of the Allies entering the camps and witnessing the horrors of what the Nazis had done. This gallery also describes the Nuremberg Trials, a watershed moment in international justice because it was the first time people were held responsible for crimes against humanity. While this liberation ended the Holocaust, it did not end hate. We rely on the voices of those who have experienced hate, and the voices of their allies, to create true and final change.
We ended our tour at the last stop in the museum - the Tree of Testimony. Here, the human voices of the Holocaust ring out and demonstrate the resilience of the human spirit in the face of great atrocity. This tree branches out to connect survivors across the world through their testimonies of truth. The entire experience through the museum was a journey of remembrance, an opportunity to listen to and share people’s experiences so that their stories will be documentation of what happened to them and of their resistance. Even though part of our tour detailed the darkest parts of humanity, we ended with a reflection of survival, resilience, and hope, which make up the true nature of the human spirit.
Madalyn Minnick is a high school senior from Wilmington, Delaware in the United States. She loves to use writing to connect to herself and relate to events in the present and of the past.
Banner Image Source: https://www.discoverlosangeles.com/things-to-do/holocaust-museum-los-angeles