Traveling Holocaust Exhibit Comes To New York State Capitol

NEW YORK — A traveling exhibit that pays tribute to the six million Jews who were murdered by Nazis between 1933 and 1945 can now be seen at the New York State Capitol in Albany.

"Courage to Remember" is a 40-panel traveling exhibit on the Holocaust that has been seen by millions around the world. The exhibit unfolds through four major themes: Nazi Germany, 1933-1938; Moving Toward the "Final Solution," 1939-1941; Annihilation in Nazi-occupied Europe, 1941-1945; and Liberation, Building New Lives.

It was prepared by the Simon Wiesenthal Center, one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations, and was brought to Albany by State Sen. Anna Kaplan (D-North Hills). Visitors can see the exhibition through Friday, March 25.

"The 'Courage to Remember' exhibition not only serves as a memorial for the past, but also reinforces what could transpire if the evils wrought by tyrants are left unchecked," Kaplan's office said in a statement.

The exhibition comes to Albany days after the NYPD said anti-Semitic crimes rose 409 percent in New York City, with 56 crimes reported last month compared to 11 in February 2021.

Kaplan, who fled Iran to escape anti-Semitic violence in the '70s, has been a leading advocate for increased Holocaust education in New York State's schools. Last year, she sponsored a bill that would have state education officials conduct a study to see how well school districts are teaching the subject.

S.121A is now under consideration in the State Legislature.

Kaplan argues that history is doomed to repeat itself if people don't teach children about the Holocaust. And while it's important to learn about the Holocaust year-round, Kaplan says it's especially important to showcase "Courage to Remember" now, given the ongoing crisis in war-torn Ukraine.

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine late last month, unleashing airstrikes on cities and military bases and sending troops and tanks from multiple directions in a move that could rewrite the world's geopolitical landscape.

"As a pretext for Russia's invasion, President (Vladimir) Putin has falsely weaponized the Nazi Holocaust as a ploy to invade a peaceful neighbor and unleashed one of the worst humanitarian disasters of this century," Kaplan's office said in a statement. "The Russian invasion has also damaged the Babi Yar Holocaust memorial, houses of worship, kindergartens, and schools."

Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean and director of the Social Action Agenda at the Simon Wiesenthal Center, said "these events have shed light on the dangers of Holocaust distortion, which is a rapidly growing new variant of anti-Semitism."