January 2016 – ENGAGING THE GENERATION GAP Since taking Mom’s Little Black Book on the road to Washington, D.C., my daughter Marissa was captivated by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and wanted to see more; so, I was pleasantly surprised to find the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center in nearby Skokie. My younger daughter, Tessa, thought it might be boring for a kid; my girlfriend was worried it might be too graphic for her daughter; and my mom (who is of German descent) thought it might be too depressing. I encouraged the generation gap to join me anyway!
We weren’t in the museum more than 5 minutes, before Tessa and her BFF were fully engaged in the Make a Difference! Harvey L. Miller Family Youth Exhibition, which features interactive exhibits using relevant and current technology, like taking selfies and making your own videos to learn how to affect positive change in the world. It was the perfect way to introduce the concepts of bullying, prejudice, and indifference to kids as young as 8 years old. Before long, we were gently walking downward in the dark part of the Karkomi Permanent Exhibition, as the symbolic architecture represented the descent into the dark era of time. The permanent exhibitions provided a vivid, yet not gory, look at the Holocaust by “honoring the memories of those who were lost and by teaching universal lessons that combat hatred, prejudice and indifference”.
We were guided by Docent, Barbara Jo, who effortlessly captured the legacy by sharing personal stories of local survivors, as Skokie was once home to over 7000 Holocaust Survivors. As we entered the light side of the exhibition, representing the rescue and renewal of the survivors, we met Holocaust Survivor and Museum President, Fritzie Fritzshall (pictured in the photo above with us). She was only 13 when she entered the Auschwitz concentration camp - - the kids connected - - the adults were humbled.
OVERVIEW
The Museum is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Holocaust by honoring the memories of those who were lost and by teaching universal lessons that combat hatred, prejudice and indifference through exhibitions, architectural tours and survivor presentations.
Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center 9603 Woods Drive Skokie• (847) 967-4800 www.ilholocaustmuseum.org
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sun-Sat Extended Hours Thur until 8 p.m.
Price $: $12 Adults; $8 Seniors (65+); $8 Students (12-22); $6 Children (5-11)
