Photo By Joel Mason-Gaines
The Delray Beach Public Library is one of 50 U.S. libraries selected to host “Americans and the Holocaust,” a traveling exhibition and educational initiative from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and the American Library Association, which examines the motives, pressures and fears that shaped Americans’ responses to Nazism, war and genocide in Europe during the 1930s and 1940s.
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“We hope that people of all ages and backgrounds will come and learn what Americans knew during the Holocaust, how they responded, and think about what it teaches us about our own roles and responsibilities in society today,” said Robert Tanen, the Museum’s Southeast regional director based in Boca Raton.
Americans and the Holocaust will be on display through Nov. 17.
“We are honored to be one of only 50 U.S. libraries and one of only two Florida sites selected to host the traveling exhibition,” stated the library’s Executive Director Karen Ronald. “We are excited that thousands of South Floridians will visit and explore this exhibition on America’s role during the Holocaust and be challenged to think about both the missed opportunities to save lives and the impact of those few individuals who took action. We think visitors will be surprised at how much Americans knew about Nazism and the Holocaust and how early they knew it, hopefully leading to fruitful conversations in our community that will prompt questions like, ‘what would I have done?’ and ‘what will I do?’”
Photo by Joel Mason-Gaines
Drawing on a remarkable collection of primary sources from the 1930s and ’40s, the exhibition focuses on the stories of individuals and groups of Americans who took action in response to Nazism. It will challenge visitors to consider the responsibilities and obstacles faced by individuals and organizations who made difficult choices, sought to effect change, and, in a few cases, took significant risks to help victims of Nazism even as rescue never became a government priority.
Delray Beach resident and Konover South CEO David Coppa and his family were some of the original donors of the “Americans and the Holocaust” special exhibition in Washington, D.C.
“Our grandfather Simon Konover not only survived the Holocaust, but also became one of the original supporters of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum,” said Coppa.
For more information, visit delraylibrary.org/americans-and-the-holocaust.