“Life in Shadows: Hidden Children and the Holocaust” is open at Spertus, 618 S. Michigan Ave., through July 31. When World War II ended in 1945, six million European Jews were dead, murdered in the Holocaust. A million and a half of the victims were children. Thousands of Jewish children survived this brutal carnage, however, many of them hidden as children. With identities disguised, often physically concealed from the outside world, these youngsters faced constant fear, dilemmas and danger. Theirs was a life in shadows, where an accidental remark, a denunciation or the murmuring of inquisitive neighbors could lead to discovery and death.
This special exhibition details stories of desperation, tragedy, courage, love, and survival in the darkest times. To tell this poignant history, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum assembled documents, photographs and objects from all over the world, donated by or borrowed from hidden children and their rescuers.
Another new exhibit is “Every Picture Tells a Story: Teaching Tolerance Through Children’s Picture Books,” running through Sept. 11.
Explore original artwork from over 40 famous children’s books, plus interactive environments that bring these books alive for children of all ages.
Exhibition visitors are transported to an imaginative world where they can visit the treehouse of "Enemy Pie," play the musical instruments of "Rip Squeak and His Friends," explore new foods in the cafeteria of "David Goes to School," and transform themselves into a Starbelly Sneetch from the Dr. Seuss classic "The Sneetches."
Museum admission is $5 for adults; $3 for children, students and seniors. The maximum family rate is $10; Fridays are free. Group tours are available. For museum or family program information, call (312) 322-1747 or e-mail museum@spertus.edu.
Spertus invites people of all ages and backgrounds to explore the multifaceted Jewish experience. |
