UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Tuesday, May 4, 1993
58
So people will not forget...
Survivors of the Holocaust were invited to light a memorial candle after the dedication.
Opening of U.S. Holocaust museum ends survivors' years of wandering
Harry Shaffer was 18 years old in 1938 when Hitler massed his troops on the border of Austria and invaded. Less than seven years later, more than 75 of his relatives had died at the hands of the Nazis "Final Solution."
Shaffer, professor emeritus of economics at the University of Kansas, was one of the lucky ones. He and his parents escaped the death camps. But six million other Jews did not.
"When times get bad, people tend to blame some group of people," Shaffer said. "The world must not forget what happened."
So that people would not forget, the National Holocaust Museum was dedicated in Washington, D.C., on April 22. The museum was a collaborative effort between the U.S. government, which donated land, and private organizations, which raised funds for the museum's construction.
The 350,000-square-foot, $184 million building to the U.S. Treasury Building in the city.
David Katzman, professor of history and American studies, said the museum served to remind people of the atrocities that occurred so such horror would never happen again.
"The Holocaust was proof of the inhumanity of humans against humans," he said.
Katzman pointed out that the museum was not just a memorial for Jews, but for all the people who died during the Nazi extermination.
While some dispute the number of people who died, most historians agree that somewhere between seven and 11 million people, including six million Jews, were murdered.
For the thousands of survivors and liberators of the Nazi death camps, the dedication of the museum was the culmination of 50 years of wandering, according to Sam Devinki.
Devinki, a Leawood resident, was one of four persons who spearheaded a campaign in the Kansas City area to raise funds for the museum. Devinki attended the dedication ceremony.
"Just reading about the Holocaust in a book doesn't convey the enormity of what happened," Devinki said.
He said the museum was more than exhibits or displays. It tells a story.
Visitors begin the tour on the fourth floor. There, they follow a story which begins in 1933 and ends in 1945.
"It is necessary for people to go in a certain order to understand the flow of the story," Devinki said. "If people want to spend five, five hours, they will miss something."
Shaffer, Katzman and Devkiin all agree that the museum has to be a reminder of what people allowed to happen during the Holocaust.
"The Holocaust was the result of the indifference that many people seemed to feel in the 1930s," Katzman said. "There is an obligation to speak out and do something. We must never allow this to happen again."
Above, this eternal flame will burn as a constant reminder of the six million Jews who died during the Holocaust. Left, the inscription of the museum is painted on a wall near the exit.
This sign, which used to hang over the gates to Auschwitz concentration camp, reads "Work Will Make You Free."
Replicas of crematorium ovens are among many moving displays at the National Holocaust Museum.
Photos by Richard Devinki Story by Stephen Martino
Above, a room filled with shoes helps illustrate the six million Jews who died in Hitler's death camps. Left, Miles Lerman speaks about the inception of his dream 13 years ago, to build the National Holocaust Museum. Lerman serves as the International Campaign Chairman.
The Panhellenic1993 RUSH Book will be available
soon!
Stop by the Organization and Activities Center in the Kansas Union to pick up your copy.
Any woman who is a full-time student at the University of Kansas is eligible for 1993 Rush.