Thursday was our last day of orientation, which I was very excited about since I’m suffering from Information Overload. So in the afternoon, Andi (a Spanish teacher from Phoenix, who will also be in Mexico City) and I ducked out to visit the Holocaust Museum.
It is an impressive museum – it covers hardships and lies that Jews had to endure since the beginning of time. Short films and displays explained the Jews situation around the world, leading up to the Holocaust, while it occurred and during the aftermath. I was moved by the exhibit that is specifically for children, but just as touching for adults. It is called “Daniel’s Story” and visitors walk along “touring” the house he grew up in and read excerpts from his diary along the way. It shows how life drastically changed for him as his community became more anti-semitic and how he no longer played with his non-Jewish friends and had to wear the yellow star that said “Jew”. Visitors learn that while his mother and sister were killed, he and his father survived and reunited after the camps were liberated. This was an especially moving exhibit as Daniel’s childhood seemed as pleasant and fun as any and it seemed completely unbelievable the events that took place over time.
I was also impressed that there was an exhibit on Darfur, Africa. So few people know about the ethnic cleansing that is taking place there and while some media has covered those events, no one is seriously helping. There are camps set up across the border in Sudan and the group Doctors without Borders is helping there. It is tragic that virtually nothing has changed since the Holocaust in that people are aware of what’s happening but no government is willing to step forward and take a stand.
