On Sunday, May 16th, the Virginia Holocaust Museum will open two new additions to our permanent exhibition: Mel Wacks’ The Impact of Jewish Intellect on America and the World and Those People by Esther Glina.
The Impact of Jewish Intellect on America and the World reflects on Jewish individuals who have achieved cultural notoriety for their individual achievements. But the exhibit also centers on the contemplative question of “What If…?” “What if one of the millions murdered had discovered a cure for cancer, HIV/AIDS or Alzheimer’s?” or “What if fossil fuels would have become obsolete thanks to a discovery by one of the Jewish children exterminated by the Nazis?”
Conversely echoing the lives lost, Those People is a collection featuring suitcases with the names of the Glina and Woznica family and personal belongings typical to the late 1930s. Each piece represents one of the twenty-eight barracks at Auschwitz that deported people were sent to within the concentration camp. The exhibit’s backdrop, a red brick wall, is also symbolic as the code name used for the gas chambers was ‘Red Brick House.’ However, Those People serves as a reflection rather than an expression of mourning for those lost during the Holocaust.
Both galleries open at 2 p.m. and are free to the museum visitors.
For more information please visit http://va-holocaust.com/events/default.asp or call 804-257-5400
Official Website: http://va-holocaust.com/events/default.asp