The Museum of Tolerance by Cindy Chen
Opening in 1993 and named after preeminent Nazi-hunter and Holocaust survivor Simon Wiesenthal, The Museum of Tolerance offers a unique approach to the museum experience by engaging visitors to not only experience history, but to elicit an understanding of the ongoing connections between communities, groups and individuals. The visitor can feel like an integral part of the larger scheme of events. In this way, the museum makes an impact on an event that otherwise may seem beyond the scope of understanding or even language to describe it. Experiencing and participation in a moving and fluid discourse not only of words, but also of images and interactive scenes, supports the participants’ feeling of involvement.
On one hand, living with awareness and compassion is a very personal journey, and can start from within and radiate outward—but at the same time, the personal can be political. The impact of individual and personal choices on a group and the wider world resonates strongly when one experiences the museum first hand, or takes part in its plethora of historical, educational and social resources. The Museum of Tolerance is not only a fitting subject for compassionate living, but also a poignant reminder of the ongoing price of peace, as well as a marker of where humanity has been and where we are headed.
Visitors are given a passport card, and follow a real child whose life was altered by the events of the Holocaust. In fact, the visitors who gather together in the space of reflection and learning are part of the human connection, and are hopefully made more aware of the current relevance of these issues.
Some examples of what one will find at the museum are a mix of views and perspectives, such as a special speaker series, where one can hear from a Holocaust survivor, as well as a former White Supremacist. It is taken a step further with From Hate to Hope, where guests are brought into the conversation between a perpetrator and victim—and take part in the reconciliation process. Although the museum highlights the Jewish Holocaust during WWII, its mission is to “confront all forms of prejudice and discrimination in our world today.” Its current exhibit Courage: The Vision to End Segregation. The Guts to Fight for It features the struggles to end racial segregation in public schools and includes an installation entitled: Para Todos Los Niños: Fighting Segregation in California, which focuses on Latino families and segregation in Southern California. The exhibit runs from February 8-August 23, 2010.
Please visit The Museum of Tolerance located at: 9786 West Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90035. The museum is closed on Saturdays, and admission to the Tolerance Center and Holocaust Exhibit is $15 for adults, and $11 for students. Details can be found on their website: www.museumoftolerance.com or call 310.533.8403.