United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Kicks Off 20Th Anniversary
Commemoration In Boca Raton
Museum's National Tour Will Honor
Local Holocaust Survivors and World War II Veterans on
December 9 at Marriott at Boca
Center
WASHINGTON, Dec. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Marking
two decades of honoring the memory of the Holocaust and inspiring
citizens and leaders worldwide, the United States Holocaust
Memorial Museum will launch the commemoration of its
20th anniversary in Boca
Raton with the first stop on its National Tour on
Sunday, December 9. The centerpiece
of the Museum's 20th anniversary is a National Tribute
to Holocaust Survivors and World War II Veterans to be held on the
National Mall in Washington, D.C.,
in April 2013. In addition to the
four-city National Tour, the Museum is launching a nationwide call
to action to secure the permanence of Holocaust memory and ensure
its lessons are carried into the future. More information on the
Tribute, Tour and anniversary activities can be found at
www.ushmm.org/neveragain.
"The issues the Museum addresses—the fragility of democracy, the
nature of hate and the consequences of indifference—are
increasingly urgent," said Sara J.
Bloomfield, Director of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.
"The South Florida community has
been instrumental in the Museum's creation and in supporting its
efforts to confront these crucial issues. As we honor Holocaust
survivors and the World War II veterans, we are also passing the
torch to the next generations that will carry this history and its
lessons forward in the decades
ahead."
The Museum's anniversary theme, "Never Again: What You Do
Matters," asks the Boca Raton
community, and all Americans, to renew the nation's pledge to honor
Holocaust survivors and World War II veterans and challenges
today's generations to act upon the lessons of the Holocaust and
fulfill the promise of Never Again. On the occasion of
its 20th anniversary, individuals everywhere are invited
to join the Museum in its work to keep the memory of the Holocaust
alive and bring its lessons to current and future generations.
20th Anniversary National Tour – Boca Raton
On December 9, the Museum will be
in Boca Raton to honor Holocaust
survivors and World War II veterans, bring the history and lessons
of the Holocaust to this important community and thank residents of
Boca Raton for their continued
support to secure the future of the Museum's important work.
The Museum's free, day-long public event will feature
programming and family activities in Boca
Raton. People of all ages are invited to participate in this
historic moment.
Date: December 9, 2012
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00
p.m.
Location: Marriott at Boca Center
5150 Town Center Circle
Boca Raton, FL 33486
Event attendees in Boca will have the opportunity to attend
interactive workshops and panel discussions which will engage
audiences with thought provoking questions, such as "Who was
responsible for the Holocaust?" What if Hitler had access to the
Internet?" "Does memory have the power to change the
world?" and "Can we make never again more than a
promise?" Speakers include:
- Sara Bloomfield: Director, United States Holocaust Memorial
Museum
- Peter Hayes: Author of Lesson
and Legacies: The Meaning of the Holocaust in a Changing
World
- Marvin Kalb: Journalist and
Edward R. Murrow Professor of Practice Emeritus at the Harvard
Kennedy School
- Nancy Snow: Author of
Propaganda Inc. and Information War
- Shankar Vedantam: National Public Radio science correspondent
and author of the acclaimed The Hidden Brain
Museum curators will be on-site to provide helpful
information on how to preserve Holocaust-era artifacts or donate
personal collections as part of the Museum's ongoing work to
"rescue the evidence" of the Holocaust and other victims of Nazi
persecution. On-site family research and services will be
available for survivors and their families. Rare films and
historical footage from the Museum's collection that have never
been seen outside the Museum's walls will be featured for special
viewings.
The day will conclude with an hour-long tribute
ceremony (from 4-5 p.m.) to honor
South Florida-area Holocaust
survivors and World War II veterans as they pass a challenge to new
generations to always remember the victims and survivors, and to
learn from the lessons of the Holocaust.
Attendance is free, but registration is required. For more
information, please visit ushmm.org/neveragain or call
866-998-7466.
20th Anniversary National Tour and Tribute
Following the tour stop in Boca
Raton, the National Tour will visit three additional U.S.
cities:
- Los Angeles:
February 17, 2013, Skirball Cultural
Center
- New York: March 3, 2013, Hyatt Grand Central
- Chicago: June 9, 2013, Chicago Cultural Center
On Sunday and Monday, April 28-29,
2013, the National Tribute to Holocaust survivors and World
War II veterans, will bring together a historic gathering of
survivors, World War II veterans, and their families in
Washington, D.C. All events are
free for Holocaust survivors and World War II veterans, but
registration is required. For ticket and registration information,
please visit ushmm.org/neveragain or call 866-998-7466.
Thousands of people from across the country and around the world
will join Elie Wiesel, the Museum's
Founding Chairman, at the National Tribute in Washington, D.C., which includes a National
Tribute Dinner on April 28 and a
museum Open House on April 29. On
April 28, the Museum will present its
highest honor, the Elie Wiesel
Award, to Wladyslaw Bartoszewski of
Poland and Susan Eisenhower, daughter of President
Dwight D. Eisenhower, in recognition
of Holocaust rescuers and World War II veterans. The Open House on
April 29 will bring together a
historic gathering of Holocaust survivors and veterans for a
special day of programming and exhibits, including a preview of the
Museum's upcoming exhibition, Some Were Neighbors: Collaboration
and Complicity During the Holocaust.
The Museum will be closed to the public to mark the historic
occasion, but attendance is free to all who register in
advance.
20th Anniversary – 20 Actions
In addition to the National Tour and National Tribute, a special
20th anniversary website, www.ushmm.org/neveragain,
provides 20 actions people anywhere can take to raise awareness
about the Holocaust and its continuing relevance. Visitors can
share stories, photographs or videos about how the Museum or the
memory of the Holocaust has inspired them to take action to
confront hate or antisemitism today, or take an online pledge to
confront genocide.
About the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
A living memorial to the Holocaust, the United States Holocaust
Memorial Museum inspires citizens and leaders worldwide to confront
hatred, prevent genocide and promote human dignity. Federal support
guarantees the Museum's permanent place on the National Mall, and
its far-reaching educational programs and global impact are made
possible by generous donors. For more information, visit
www.ushmm.org.
SOURCE United States Holocaust Memorial Museum