"By Chance Alone" with author Max Eisen: At 15, Max Eisen was saved from certain death in Auschwitz by a Polish physician who employed him as a cleaner in his operating room. His remarkable memoir By Chance Alone received Canada’s top literary award in 2019.
Celebrating the launch of the book’s American edition, Eisen will be in conversation with Emmy-winning 60 Minutes correspondent Lesley Stahl and joined by Phyllis Greenberg Heideman, President, International March of the Living; Eli Rubenstein, National Director, March of the Living Canada, and Cantor Aviva Rajsky. Introductory remarks by Mark Gordon, Executive Committee, USC Shoah Foundation Board of Councilors.
Trains going to Auschwitz from "Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away."
Trains, traveling around the clock, brought 1.3 million Jews, Poles, Roma, and other enemies of the Third Reich, real or perceived, to Auschwitz. This was a diverse group of city dwellers and shtetl dwellers, young and old, rich and poor, poets and peddlers, teachers and students, doctors and rabbis, women, men, and children.
Between March 1942 and April 1944, the trains stopped on the side of the Oświęcim freight station. Some were taken to the Auschwitz main camp, but most were taken to the growing Birkenau site. By May 1944, the trains were able to enter directly into the Birkenau camp on a newly built railway spur.
After unlocking the train doors, the Kapos (prisoner functionaries) were able to rush the passengers out. Baggage containing household goods, clothes, and trinkets was left on the platform. During the train journey, families and friends were still together. On the Rampe (ramp), the deepest ties were torn asunder.
For more on the history of Auschwitz, visit “Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away.” Exhibition information available here: https://bit.ly/2Z0uKEY Produced with Auschwitz Memorial / Muzeum Auschwitz, Musealia and Auschwitz Exhibition.
Paul Salmons on Chaya Porus' blouse from "Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away."
Chaya Porus' blouse has been on an incredible journey: from a ghetto to the battlefield, from displacement to a home, and finally from that home to our Museum. Paul Salmons, one of the curators of "Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away.", discusses the blouse and its incredible story at the link below: http://bit.ly/2KW7Ed1
#GivingTuesday
The Museum has archived more than 3,800 Holocaust survivor stories. They are a remarkable collection of first-hand accounts that document genocide and personal histories of family, hope, courage, resilience, and renewal that must be told, preserved, and heard–now and for generations to come.
Today on #GivingTuesday, please donate to help us professionally record testimonies from 20 survivors in the New York area whose experiences during the Holocaust have never been recorded and are in danger of being lost forever. Holocaust survivor Philip B. explains why it is so important to ensure #StoriesSurvive.
Thank you for donating today: http://bit.ly/2P5O8Mv
This Artist Drew Over 150 Pictures While Held At Auschwitz
Tomorrow, NYC-ARTS will take a look at “Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away.” Part of the exhibition examines artists who felt compelled to document their experiences in the camp. In this clip, Museum Chairman Bruce Ratner discusses the work of one Holocaust survivor and artist. Be sure to tune in to Thirteen WNET New York tomorrow at 8pm for the whole program.
Paula Zahn Interviews Auschwitz Survivor Erwin Forley
Holocaust survivor Erwin Forley spoke with Paula Zahn about his experience surviving Auschwitz in NYC-ARTS' upcoming special program, “Auschwitz Remembered,” which will explore the significance and relevance of, "Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away." Tune in to watch it this Thursday at 8pm on Thirteen WNET New York, Saturday at 7pm on NJTV, and Sunday at 7:30 on WLIW21 New York.
Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away.
Why are we presenting an exhibition about Auschwitz? Our Chairman Bruce Ratner discusses the importance of bringing objects and images from the camp to the U.S. for “Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away.” in an upcoming NYC-ARTS special, which will air on Thirteen WNET New York this Thursday, 11/21 at 8pm, on WLIW21 New York on Sunday, 11/24 at 7:30pm, and on NJTV on Saturday, 11/23 at 7pm.
António Guterres, UN Secretary-General
The Museum commemorated the 81st anniversary of Kristallnacht—featuring remarks by keynote speaker H.E. Mr. António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations—on Thursday, November 7, 2019. “Kristallnacht was not just a Night of Broken Glass; it was the night of broken lives, broken families, broken societies, broken dreams,” Secretary-General Guterres said.
The Secretary-General, who has twice visited the Museum’s groundbreaking exhibition, “Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away.,” noted that the exhibition “calls on us to witness. And it summons us to speak. After all, ‘never again’ means telling the story again and again – especially in these times.” Listen to his remarks below.
Shofar being blown in the Garden of Stones
In observance of Yom Kippur, the Museum will close today at 3pm and will be closed tomorrow.
A shofar blown in Auschwitz was recently added to the "Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away." exhibition. This video is of Rabbi Eli Babich blowing that shofar at the Museum in Garden of Stones by Andy Goldsworthy. The shofar will be blown at a synagogue in New York City during the final moments of Yom Kippur tomorrow.
Hitler’s Hostage Art: Mary M. Lane In Conversation With Erin L. Thompson
Mary M. Lane, former chief European art reporter at The Wall Street Journal and the author of Hitler’s Last Hostages, will discuss how Hitler’s obsession with art fueled his vision of a purified Nazi state, and the fate of the artwork that was hidden, stolen, or destroyed to “cleanse” German culture. Lane, in conversation with Erin L. Thompson, America’s only full-time professor of art crime, will reveal the series of events leading up to 2013, when the German government confiscated roughly 1,300 works by Henri Matisse, George Grosz, Claude Monet, and other masters from the reclusive son of one of Hitler’s primary art dealers.
Free; advance registration recommended
Prosecuting Hate Crimes: Charlottesville and Beyond
Join leading litigator Roberta Kaplan for an insiders’ discussion of the lawsuit representing those injured at the 2017 white nationalist rally in Charlottesville. Kaplan will be in conversation with plaintiff Reverend Seth Wispelwey, and Integrity First for America Executive Director Amy Spitalnick. The three will provide an overview of this landmark case and discuss its impact on the broader fight against white nationalist violence in America. The program will be introduced by Jack Kliger, Interim President and CEO for the Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, and moderated by John Avlon, a Senior Political Analyst at CNN.
Co-presented with Integrity First for America
"The world stood by..."
"The world stood by while [the Holocaust] was happening and did nothing." Visitors are calling “Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away.” moving and timely, and one puts it simply: "Just come see it."
Exhibition information is available here: https://bit.ly/2Z0uKEY Produced with Auschwitz Exhibition, Auschwitz Memorial / Muzeum Auschwitz, and Musealia. #NotlongagoNotfaraway
“It is the most powerful exhibit I have ever seen about the Holocaust."
“It is the most powerful exhibit I have ever seen about the Holocaust."
Visitors continue to priase “Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away." Come see it for yourself.
Exhibition information can be found here: https://bit.ly/2Z0uKEY Produced with Auschwitz Exhibition, Musealia, and Auschwitz Memorial / Muzeum Auschwitz #NotlongagoNotfaraway
Bruce Sussman on "Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away."
"The survivors, the witnesses--they become fewer in number every day. It's up to us to perpetuate the memory," says Grammy award-winner Bruce Sussman.
What will you do to make sure these #StoriesSurvive?
“Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away.” exhibition information can be found here: https://bit.ly/2Z0uKEY Produced with Auschwitz Exhibition, Musealia, and Auschwitz Memorial / Muzeum Auschwitz #NotlongagoNotfaraway
Steven Skybell on "Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away."
"It's vitally important that we teach the generations that are young that [they] should have a voice." - Steven Skybell, who is playing Tevye in National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene's "Fiddler on the Roof," which is currently running Off-Broadway.
Who in your life do you think needs to see “Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away.”?
Exhibition information can be found here: http://bit.ly/2Ydc9Zz Produced with Auschwitz Exhibition, Musealia, and Auschwitz Memorial / Muzeum Auschwitz #NotlongagoNotfaraway
Corey Johnson on "Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away."
"The lessons that you learn from such a horrific, unimaginable time... those are lessons that we still have to talk about today." - NYC City Council Speaker Corey Johnson on "Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away."
Which lessons from the Holocaust are most meaningful to you?
Exhibition information can be found here: https://bit.ly/2Z0uKEY Produced with Auschwitz Exhibition, Musealia, and Auschwitz Memorial / Muzeum Auschwitz #NotlongagoNotfaraway
Barry Manilow on "Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away."
Barry Manilow wants to make Holocaust denial a thing of the past to ensure a better, brighter future. Come see "Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away." and join us in the fight against antisemitism.
Exhibition information is available here: http://bit.ly/2Ydc9Zz
Produced with Auschwitz Exhibition, Auschwitz Memorial / Muzeum Auschwitz, & Musealia.
UN Secretary General
Thank you to the United Nations for hosting the event, "Challenges of Teaching Tolerance & Respect in the Digital Age" to discuss the rise of antisemitism. Below is a clip from the conference of UN Secretary-General António Guterres discussing "Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away."
Dr. Ruth on "Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away."
Dr. Ruth thinks everybody must visit "Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away." Visitor information can be found here: http://bit.ly/30wwMMR. Produced with Auschwitz Exhibition, Musealia, and Auschwitz Memorial / Muzeum Auschwitz. #NotlongagoNotfaraway
“America’s Jewish Women” With Author Pamela Nadell: Join us for an evening with Pamela Nadell, as she recounts how Jewish women have been at the forefront of causes for centuries. Nadell’s book America’s Jewish Women covers the groundbreaking history of how Jewish women maintained their identity and influenced social activism as they wrote themselves into American history. In this historical narrative, Nadell weaves together the stories of a diverse group of extraordinary people—from the colonial-era matriarch Grace Nathan and her great-granddaughter, poet Emma Lazarus, to labor organizer Bessie Hillman and the great justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, to scores of other activists, workers, wives, and mothers who helped carve out a Jewish American identity.
Free; advance registration recommended
“The Volunteer” With Author Jack Fairweather: Join us for the launch of Jack Fairweather’s new book The Volunteer, the little-known story of Witold Pilecki, who spent nearly three years in Auschwitz clandestinely working to undermine the Germans and inform the Allies of Nazi crimes. Pilecki’s exploits were suppressed for decades after the war by Poland’s Communist government, but with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989 and the opening of the archives in Warsaw, the story of his heroic mission slowly emerged. Fairweather has drawn on Pilecki’s own accounts, including previously uncovered writings, hundreds of prisoners’ testimonies and exclusive interviews with those who knew him and fought beside him, to paint a compelling, nuanced portrait of a hero who risked everything to bring the horrors of Auschwitz to light. Fairweather will be joined in conversation by the co-host of NPR’s On Point David Folkenflik.
Free, advance registration recommended
Eli Eli
At this year's #AGR2019, Miriam Kassow sang "Eli Eli." Listen as she sings the English translation of the 1942 poem by Hannah Senesh, a Hungarian Jewish WWII resistance fighter.
The English translation of the full song:
“Eli, Eli
I pray that it never will end.
The sand and the sea
and the waves breaking and sighing
and high over the water
the wind blowing free.
The lightning and rain and the darkness descending
and ever and ever the nature of man.”
Auschwitz At The Nuremberg Trials: The Early Evidence, The Start Of Holocaust Comprehension: The 1945-1949 Nuremberg trials brought Nazi leaders to justice for their crimes, including World War II aggression and crimes against humanity. However, as those trials began, the enormity of what we know as the Holocaust was barely understood by the prosecuting Allied nations. Professor John Q. Barrett (Professor of Law at St. John’s University, biographer of Nuremberg chief prosecutor and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson) will discuss how the Nuremberg trials began to uncover and prove the Nazis’ systematic extermination of Jews, especially at Auschwitz.
Free; advance registration recommended.
"Won't Be Silent"
At #AGR2019, we proclaimed that we "Won't Be Silent" in the face of antisemitism and injustice. Sung by the HaZamir: The International Jewish Teen Choir, listen to Wolf Durmashkin's song of resistance. Durmashkin, a child prodigy in Vilna, Poland, became the youngest conductor of the Vilna Symphony Orchestra at age 25. After WWII broke out, he was forced into the Vilna Ghetto. There, he and a few other musicians gradually smuggled in a piano through the barbed wire fence, reassembling it piece by piece. On this piano, with the help of other smuggled instruments, Durmashkin wrote, "Won't Be Silent."
Julianna Margulies
"If we don't learn from this heinous atrocity, we won't see it coming anew." - Julianna Margulies
"Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away." exhibition information can be found here: https://bit.ly/2SQBSnS Produced with Auschwitz Exhibition, Auschwitz Memorial / Muzeum Auschwitz and Musealia #NotlongagoNotfaraway
Bruce Ratner on modern antisemitism
In light of recent acts of hate, the Museum commits to redoubling its efforts in the fight against antisemitism. Listen to Museum Chairman Bruce Ratner, who spoke about it at this year's Annual Gathering of Remembrance.
Carolyn B. Maloney on "Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away."
"No one wants to repeat the horrors of the Holocaust. The best way to prevent it is to educate people." US Representative Carolyn B. Maloney believes everyone should see the exhibition "Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away." on view now through January 3, 2020.
Exhibition information can be found here: https://bit.ly/2SQBSnS Produced with Auschwitz Exhibitionn, Auschwitz Memorial / Muzeum Auschwitzl, and Musealia. #NotlongagoNotfaraway
An Evening With Nobuki Sugihara
At this special event, we invite you to meet, Nobuki Sugihara, the son of Chiune Sugihara who helped to rescue six thousand Jews during World War II. Nobuki will tell the extraordinary story of how his father risked the family’s lives and his career to issue transit visas granting Jews safe passage through Japanese territory.
Metrofocus - "Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away."
Jack Ford speaks with our Chairman Bruce Ratner and Board member Dr. Ruth Westheimer about "Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away." They stress the importance of listening, learning, and remembering the lessons of the Holocaust. The Auschwitz exhibition is now on view - come listen, learn, and remember with us: https://bit.ly/2Z0uKEY
Produced with Auschwitz Memorial / Muzeum Auschwitz, Auschwitz Exhibition and Musealia. #NotlongagoNotfaraway
Witness Theater: The Art Of Living
Tune-in live TODAY at 7pm EST to experience an evening you will long remember as high school students re-enact critical moments from the lives of local Holocaust survivors. This unique performance represents an intergenerational journey—the culmination of months of collaboration between the students and survivors, as mutual respect, friendship, and trust have evolved.
Witness Theater was conceived by Irit and Ezra Dagan and developed by JDC-Eshel in Israel. It was brought to New York in 2012 by Selfhelp Community Services, Inc. This year’s Witness Theater Program is a collaboration of Selfhelp, UJA-Federation and Yeshivah of Flatbush Joel Braverman High School and has received generous support from the Sephardic Home for the Aged Foundation.
Freight Car Installation at the Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust
Memory is key to responsibiity. By looking to the past, we find the way to the future.
“Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away.” opens one week from today on May 8. Exhibition information can be found here: https://bit.ly/2Z0uKEY. Produced with Auschwitz Memorial / Muzeum Auschwitz and Auschwitz Exhibition. #NotlongagoNotfaraway
Streaming LIVE now: New York's Annual Gathering of Remembrance presented by The Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust.
Streaming LIVE now: New York’s Annual Gathering of Remembrance presented by The Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust.
Join thousands at Temple Emanu-El as we hear from survivors and families. Tune in to the largest Holocaust commemoration in the country and be part of the national community to say: We will never forget.
The Jewish people persist, and we will not allow the memory of millions to pass into stony silence. We owe it to our people, ourselves, and our children to insist that when we mourn those who were murdered and comfort those who suffered, we tell their stories with the utmost respect for their human dignity. It is a powerful answer to the Nazis’ thwarted ambition. #StoriesSurvive
Dr. Ruth on "Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away."
"It's very important to never forget. Otherwise, it could happen again." Dr. Ruth Westheimer speaking about the importance of "Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away." Opens May 8. Exhibition information can be found here: https://bit.ly/2Z0uKEY. Produced with @Auschwitz Memorial / Muzeum Auschwitz and Auschwitz Exhibition. #NotlongagoNotfaraway
“The Tattooist Of Auschwitz” With Author Heather Morris: In April 1942, Lale Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew, was forcibly transported to Auschwitz-Birkenau, where he was tasked with inking the arms of thousands of his fellow prisoners—including Gita, his future wife—with what would become an enduring symbol of the Holocaust. In her only New York City event, join Heather Morris, the author of the international bestseller and #1 New York Times bestseller The Tattooist of Auschwitz, for a reading and a discussion of the real-life Lale who inspired her debut novel.
Free; advance registration recommended
WPIX Freight Car
A WWII-era German freight car that is part of the exhibition "Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away." was recently installed in front of the Museum. WPIX 11 spoke with our President and CEO, Jack Kliger, about the significance of this historic exhibition.
Dr. Ruth on "Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away."
Our Board member, Dr. Ruth, speaks about why "Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away." is so important to her. Click here for more information about the largest exhibition about Auschwitz ever to be shown in North America: https://bit.ly/2Z0uKEY Produced with Auschwitz Exhibition, Auschwitz Memorial / Muzeum Auschwitz, and Musealia. #NotlongagoNotfaraway
"Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away." Freight Car
During World War II, people targeted by the Nazis within occupied Europe were transported by freight cars to ghettos, killing centers, and concentration and extermination camps. Yesterday, one such freight car was installed outside the Museum. It is the first artifact installed for the upcoming exhibition "Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away." opening on May 8. More information can be found here: https://bit.ly/2SQBSnS #NotLongAgoNotFarAway
Presented with the Auschwitz Exhibition, Auschwitz Memorial / Muzeum Auschwitz & Musealia
“After Poland” With Author Cheryl Chaffin: As a student in Italy in the 1980s, Cheryl Chaffin first discovered the writing of Primo Levi, the eminent Italian-Jewish chemist, poet, and writer of Holocaust testimony. In 2014, Chaffin traveled to Poland as an Auschwitz Jewish Center Fellow, and discovered Levi anew. Join the author to discuss After Poland: A Memoir Because of Primo Levi, Chaffin’s “literary love story of one woman’s confrontation with the trauma of history.”
Free; advance registration recommended
Documenting The Holocaust: An Introduction To The Vilnius Committee: In November 1939, a group of sixty Jewish journalists and writers, refugees from recently-occupied Poland, clandestinely formed the “Committee to Collect Material about the Destruction of Polish Jewry, 1939” in still-independent Vilnius. It was the earliest Jewish collective effort to document German atrocities against Polish Jewry. Scholar Miriam Schulz, the author of a pioneering study on the Vilnius Committee, will discuss how she discovered the archive (in the depository of London’s Wiener Library), and its legacy today.
Free; advance registration recommended
Toby Levy at the Annual Gathering of Remembrance
"Every time I talk about it, I can't help but relive it," said Toby Levy, a Holocaust survivor, while sharing her powerful testimony at New York's Annual Gathering of Remembrance. This annual event commemorates Yom HaShoah and is presented by the Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust. Will you join us this year? Reserve your seat today: https://bit.ly/2EYn4K9
Remember, Never Forget…There Is Hope For Your Future
