QUEEN'S ROAD:When the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau was marked at the end of last month, it became apparent that we were approaching future anniversaries with fewer and fewer Holocaust survivors to stand shoulder to shoulder with.
As the number of individuals with a direct connection to the horrors of the concentration camps dwindles, the question of how to reach out to future generations becomes more pertinent.
It was fitting then, that the theme for this year’s commemoration was ‘keeping the memory alive’.
The Anne Frank House, an independent organisation entrusted with the care of the Secret Annex that housed Anne and her family until they were betrayed in 1944, has always been at the centre of Holocaust education and remembrance.
The immense accessibility of Anne’s diary gives it tremendous potential to initiate new and meaningful conversations about the dangers of anti-semitism, racism and discrimination, in the years that will see us lose our direct human connection with the Holocaust.
The organisation has now taken this mandate beyond Amsterdam, with a travelling exhibition that has thus far visited more than 3,800 schools and community centers all over the world.
Making connections
Brought to Bengaluru by the Anne Frank House in collaboration with PeaceWorks, Kolkata, and city-based story-based learning initiative, Ever After, the exhibition is being hosted by the Bangalore International School.
Support from the Consulate General of Israel in Bengaluru has also enabled the inclusion of a free workshop for teachers. Run by Loes Singels and Priya Machado from the education wing of the Anne Frank House, it will discuss ways of using Anne Frank’s diary in lessons that touch upon freedom, equal rights and democracy. Apart from extracts from the diary, photographs and the context of world events, the exhibition also includes a short film.
“It’s a book that’s very close to my heart, especially since going to the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam,” says Deeptha Vivekanand of Ever After. “The exhibition offers insights into human rights and democracy, as well as connecting with world events and providing ways to think about conflict—which is not something that we talk about enough,” she says, adding that it’s a ‘tremendous privilege’ to be able to bring the exhibition to Bengaluru.
Israel Consul General Menahem Kanafi, who will open the exhibition on February 10, agrees. He says, “Anne Frank’s diary was written by a Jewish girl who was murdered. So in that sense the context is very specific. But it’s also the diary of a teenager, and her humanity and her youth makes it very easy to identify with her. Yet when you step back and put it into context, the magnitude of what happened becomes more horrifying.”
The exhibition will be open to the public from Wednesday till Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm at The Bangalore International School .
Individuals are welcome to attend at any time, while larger school parties are encouraged to book a slot in advance. Once the exhibition closes, the exhibits will remain with Ever After, and other city schools—or even institutions in other parts of the country—can take the project forward.
Anne Frank - A History for Today, at The Bangalore International School, Geddalahalli, Hennur Bagalur Road. For details call 9916641717.