SOME WERE NEIGHBORS.
THE USHMM EXHIBITION
IN CRACOW
The Some Were Neighbors exhibition examines some of the central questions about the Holocaust: How was the Holocaust possible? The paramount role of Adolf Hitler and other Nazi Party leaders is indisputable, but why did so many ordinary people throughout Europe support the Nazis’ crimes or remain silent? Why did so few aid those at risk?
“I am glad that this important exhibition will be available for visitors at the Galicia Jewish Museum. The topics it deals with are extremely important to us. It describes processes the understanding of which allows us not only to learn about the situation during the war, but also the behaviors that shape contemporary Polish-Jewish relations. Questions of help, indifference or betrayal are themes that constantly recur in Polish and Polish-Jewish discussions of the past. But the context in which the exhibition is opened also gives it special significance. The war in Ukraine, the cruel crimes committed by Russian soldiers against civilians and, finally, the unprecedented reaction of Polish society, make it clear that the themes touched upon in the exhibition are not only important, but also, unfortunately, still very relevant," says Jakub Nowakowski, director of the Galicia Jewish Museum.
“Examining history helps us understand how people at another time in another set of circumstances made important choices, and the consequences of those choices.” says Sara J. Bloomfield, director of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. “Some Were Neighbors challenges visitors to reflect on the full range of behaviors that made the Holocaust possible. It is a stark reminder of the power of individuals to make a difference – for better or for worse. Today we are also living in a great historical moment. Every day, the war in Ukraine is a reminder of the warning signs we all saw but failed to appreciate in Vladimir Putin’s various attempts over many years criminalizing historical truth to control the national narrative and mythologizing history to justify a political — and now a brutal military — agenda. Inspired by the resilience and resistance of the Ukrainian people and the wholehearted response of the Polish people, we rededicate ourselves to the principle of preserving, teaching and publicly discussing historical truth and its pivotal role in democracy.”
The exhibition will be on display at the Galicia Jewish Museum to January 31, 2023.
The Galicia Jewish Museum in Krakow opened an exhibition Some Were Neighbors: Choice, Human Behavior & The Holocaust created by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum