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A traveling exhibition on The Holocaust is coming to Toledo, September 1 through October 30, at The Church at Lion of Judah. The new exhibition was created by The Zekelman Holocaust Center in Michigan to bring History, Memory and Michigan Voices to cities state-wide. Its focus is centered around the experiences and stories of the 4,000 local Holocaust survivors who rebuilt their lives in Michigan, post-war.
The Michigan based exhibit makes its Toledo debut
This 1,000 square foot exhibit contains multiple panels that guide visitors through the history of the Holocaust, the rise of antisemitism in Europe, the ascent of the Nazi party and traces the discrimination that ended in mass violence. Dr Tom Baur, Elder and Children’s Ministry Director at The Church at Lion of Judah, says their church is honored to host the exhibition in Toledo. “We had a person on our leadership team who saw the pop-up exhibition when it was in Adrian, Michigan and was really moved by it. She thought we should bring it to our church in Toledo. We are a Christian church but we’ve long celebrated Hebrew holidays and have close ties to the Jewish faith. So we will be the first to show this exhibition in Northwest Ohio.” Baur says fifteen members of their church went to visit the permanent museum and felt that, in the current climate of antisemitism, it was a small thing they could do to bring awareness, especially considering Christians and Jews have a faith that is intertwined. The church will receive support and training from the Jewish Federation on all aspects of hosting the exhibit, including security.
Art is power & the art of resistance
Baur says he’s particularly excited about the art that will be shown as part of the exhibit. “Opening night, we will have a speaker for Art is Power, featuring art created by survivors, during and after the Holocaust by both adults and children. Some of these works are fantasy based, think wishing yourself somewhere else during such a horrible experience, and some deal with the experience directly. That’s our opening night and then the Art of Resistance is part of the regular exhibit which will be on display to the public daily. We will have d’oeuvres opening night and I hope a lot of healthy discussion.” They plan to have a several speakers throughout the month including a 94-year-old survivor who Baur says is tremendous.
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Powerful speakers
The subject of speakers comes up a lot when describing the most affecting parts of both the museum and pop-up experiences. Baur notes that it’s going to have to be the next generation of relatives that carry on the memory of those who survived but are no longer with us. He relates the story of one daughter who only learned of her mother’s experience much later in life. Now she speaks at the museum with her 90-year-old mother at her side. Baur marvels, “Anyone who I’ve met that has gotten through this, their perspective is so different, there’s not even an ounce of animosity and that’s hard for me to comprehend. That’s a part of why these speakers are so powerful every time I hear them.”
“We Hope to Foster Discussion – A Lot of Discussion.” – Doctor Tom Baur, Children’s Ministry Director
There will be refreshments set up between the exhibits and art that the public are viewing, along with spaces to stop and have discussions about what they’ve seen with guides from the Zekelman Center. Discussion is another important aspect of the experience all involved hope to foster. Featured guests include Dr. Irene Miller, who is a survivor, author and educator. October 20th will be reserved for educators to learn more about the history of the Holocaust. The Holocaust: History, Memory, and Michigan Voices: A Traveling Exhibit presented by The Zekelman Holocaust Center will be open 9-5 Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at The Church of Lion of Judah, 5732 Douglas Rd, Toledo. For a comprehensive list of events and times, see their website at https://lionofjudahtoledo.org/traveling-holocaust-exhibit
