Apr 19, 2009 0
Notes from the Illinois Holocaust Museum opening
Thousands attended the museum opening despite the rainy conditions. Nicole Cohen/Good for You
Thousands gathered in Skokie on this rainy Sunday morning to celebrate the opening of the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, which is expected to be one of the last Holocaust memorials to be built in collaboration with actual survivors.
The theme of the celebration can be summed up in the short motto displayed on the museum’s web Site, “Remember the past, transform the future.”
It’s a motto whose difficult execution was made painfully clear by the Neo-Nazi protest of the museum that took place just outside its new campus.
The event featured many speakers; some internationally known and others whose fame may not extend past their own communities. Each had something relevant to say about how a museum like this - one that is so closely tied to the past - can do much for our future.
Below is a review of what speakers like Bill Clinton, Elie Wiesel, and museum president Samuel Harris had to say. Read the rest of this entry »
