Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the little faces of the children, whose bodies I saw turned into wreaths of smoke beneath a silent blue sky.
Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my faith forever.
Never shall I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live. Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust. Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God himself. Never.
A plaque with this inscription, by Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel, was posted at one of the exhibits at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum shedding a small ray of light on the dark place of an eloquent survivor of Auschwitz. I cannot remember if this plaque was placed by the bales of human hair that was sold in forty pound bales for boat bumpers and other use, or if it was at the exhibit with hundreds of shoes. I can only remember being moved to tears at the succinct anguish captured by Wiesel's words. Weisel had other things to say on this topic, but the most important was "For the dead and the living we must bear witness." That is the purpose of this somber, breath-stealing museum. To bear witness to unmentionable atrocities that some already try to claim never happened (or are exaggerated). Then General Dwight D. Eisenhower understood that people would one day deny the Holocaust. On April 15, 1945, General Eisenhower stated "I made the visit deliberately, in order to be in a position to give first-hand evidence of these things if ever, in the future, there develops a tendency to charge these allegations merely to propaganda.'"
I normally present my reviews in a chronological order, but felt the need to express the mood of this museum first. The quotes of first hand witnesses and survivors are the only way this dark period in our history can really be conveyed. In order to bring that element to bear on these exhibits, quotes and videos are used extensively. Some of the videos are hard to watch, and anyone who can watch them and not be moved, is simply not human. The graphic films are sensibly placed on video screens in recessed areas that require a certain height to view. This was a wise concept employed to deliver the stark truth of the holocaust while allowing a degree of reserve for younger visitors. But this is not Disneyland. Young visitors are still certain to be shocked by the exhibits. I remember meeting Corrie Ten Boom as a youngster, and listening to her biography, which were made into both a book and movie called The Hiding Place. That was my first exposure to the holocaust, and I remember that it had a profound impact on me. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has been on my radar for a long time. A combination of intentional avoidance and schedule conflicts have postponed my visit until my most recent trip to Washington D.C. I regret that I waited so long for this experience.
First and foremost, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is funded by the generous donations of supporters. For visitors, it is free. It will require an emotional investment, a few hours of your time, and you are welcome to drop money into a donation box tastefully located outside the exhibit area. Passes are available beginning at 10 am. The passes are timed in fifteen minute intervals until 3:45 pm. The museum closes at 5:30 pm, but the videos shut down around 5:15 pm as visitors are encouraged to begin exiting the exhibit area. I arrived at 3:30 pm and was not required to obtain a pass (I visited in November, which is certain to be more favorable to unplanned visits). The two hours I allotted for this museum was not quite enough. I would suggest three hours to fully experience the museum, slightly more if you intend to also screen the fifteen minute documentary videos.
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