2009: New Life to open in spring

The Auschwitz Jewish Center is creating a new photograhic exhibition about Holocaust survivors from Oświęcim, Poland who live in Israel today. Entitled New Life, the exhibition will illustrate the continuation of Jewish life after the Holocaust in the context those who found a “new life” in Israel.



Post-war Jewish life is frequently left out of Holocaust education, although it is important to convey not only the strength of Jewish culture but also the hope and optimism that are conveyed by stories of survival. Both of these themes are key to the mission of the AJC.



Through images and testimony, New Life will tell the powerful story of the triumph of life in the face of overwhelming devastation.  The exhibition will present between 15 and 20 contemporary photographs of Jews born in Oświęcim who are now living in Israel together with their children.  The photographs will be accompanied by text panels in Polish and English with personal stories of survival, return to Oświęcim after the Holocaust, and life in Israel. 

As a whole, the project will serve as an inspiration: visitors will be compelled to reflect on the continuity of Jewish life after the Holocaust. New Life will also be an essential complement to the history of the local Jewish community and its survival, as told in the permanent exhibition at the Center.



The project is expected to advance knowledge and raise awareness about the postwar life of Holocaust survivors from Oświęcim and Poland living in Israel.  The exhibit will enrich the educational offerings of the Auschwitz Jewish Center and, through its local, national, and international audience, will contribute to an increased understanding of the Holocaust and ways to respond to its aftermath.



The official opening of the New Life exhibition is scheduled for spring 2009.



The project has been supported by a generous grant from the Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance, and Research.