United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Brings 20th Anniversary Commemorative National Tour To Los Angeles

Museum's National Tour Will Honor Local Holocaust Survivors and World War II Veterans on February 17 at the Skirball Cultural Center

WASHINGTON, Jan. 28, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Marking two decades of honoring the memory of the Holocaust and inspiring citizens and leaders worldwide, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum will bring its commemorative 20th anniversary National Tour to Los Angeles on February 17.

The centerpiece of the Museum's 20th anniversary is a National Tribute to Holocaust survivors and World War II veterans to be held in Washington, DC, in April. In addition to the National Tour and Tribute, the Museum is launching a nationwide call to action to secure the permanence of Holocaust memory and ensure its lessons are carried into the future. More information on the Tribute, Tour and anniversary activities can be found at www.ushmm.org/neveragain.

"Twenty years after the founding of the Museum, the timeless lessons of the Holocaust—the fragility of democracy, the nature of hate and the consequences of indifference—are more relevant than ever," said Sara J. Bloomfield, director of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. "As we honor Holocaust survivors and World War II veterans in the Los Angeles community, we pledge to them that we will forever remember their experiences and teach the world about the Holocaust and its lessons for humanity."

The Museum's anniversary theme, Never Again: What You Do Matters, asks the Los Angeles community, and all Americans, to reaffirm the nation's pledge to honor Holocaust survivors and World War II veterans and challenges today's generations to act upon the lessons of the Holocaust. The Museum has developed 20 actions that anyone, anywhere can take to preserve Holocaust memory and fulfill the promise of Never Again.  

20th Anniversary National Tour—Los Angeles

On February 17, the Museum will be in Los Angeles at the Skirball Cultural Center to honor Holocaust survivors and World War II veterans, bring the history and lessons of the Holocaust to this important community, and thank area residents for their continued support, which has helped to secure the future of the Museum's important work.

The Museum's free, daylong public event will feature programming and family activities. People of all ages are invited to participate in this historic moment.

Date:               February 17, 2013
Time:              10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Location:         Skirball Cultural Center
                        2701 North Sepulveda Boulevard
                        Los Angeles, CA 90049

Event attendees in Los Angeles will have the opportunity to attend interactive workshops and panel discussions that will engage audiences with thought-provoking questions, such as "Who was responsible for the Holocaust?" What if Hitler had access to the Internet?" "Does memory have the power to change the world?" and "Can we make never again more than a promise?" Speakers include:

• Sara Bloomfield: Director, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
• Warren Olney: Host of PRI's To the Point
• Peter Hayes: Editor of Lesson and Legacies: The Meaning of the Holocaust in a Changing World
• Dan Schnur: Director of the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics at the University of Southern California
• Elie Attie: Screenwriter, producer, and former political speechwriter
• Philip Zimbardo: Author of The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil

Museum curators will be on site to provide information on how to preserve Holocaust-era artifacts or donate personal collections as part of the Museum's ongoing work to rescue the evidence of the Holocaust. On-site family research and services will be available for survivors and their families. Rare films and historical footage from the Museum's collection that have never been seen outside the Museum's walls will be featured for special viewings.

The Tour will conclude with an hour-long Tribute ceremony (from 4–5 p.m.) to honor southern California-area Holocaust survivors and World War II veterans as they pass a challenge to new generations to always remember the victims and survivors, and to learn from the lessons of the Holocaust.

Attendance is free, but space is limited, so registration is required. For more information and to register, please visit www.ushmm.org/neveragain or call 866.998.7466.

Los Angeles 20th Anniversary Dinner

Following the Tour stop, the Museum will host a 20th anniversary fundraising dinner (beginning at 6:30 p.m.) featuring keynote speaker Eli M. Rosenbaum of the United States Department of Justice, who has led the US effort to prosecute Nazi war criminals living in the United States; host Forrest Sawyer, veteran broadcast journalist; and special guest Camryn Manheim, Emmy® award-winning actress.

Date:               February 17, 2013
Time:              5:30 p.m. reception; 6:30–8:30 p.m. dinner
Location:         Skirball Cultural Center                                      
                        2701 North Sepulveda Boulevard
                        Los Angeles, CA 90049

Tickets to the dinner are $500 per person. For more information or to register to attend, please visit http://neveragain.ushmm.org/events/entry/events-losangeles.

20th Anniversary National Tour and Tribute

Los Angeles is the second of four stops on the Museum's National Tour, which launched in Boca Raton, Florida, on December 9. Following the stop in Los Angeles, the National Tour will visit two additional US cities:

• New York: March 3, 2013, Hilton New York
• Chicago: June 9, 2013, Chicago Cultural Center

On Sunday and Monday, April 28–29, 2013, the National Tribute to Holocaust survivors and World War II veterans will bring together a historic gathering of survivors, World War II veterans, and their families in Washington, DC. All events are free for Holocaust survivors and World War II veterans, but registration is required. For ticket and registration information, please visit www.ushmm.org/neveragain or call 866.998.7466.

Thousands of people from across the country and around the world will join Elie Wiesel, the Museum's founding chairman, at the National Tribute, which includes a dinner on April 28 and a daylong event at the Museum on April 29. On April 28, the Museum will present its highest honor, the Elie Wiesel Award, to Wladyslaw Bartoszewski of Poland, in recognition of all rescuers, and to Susan Eisenhower, granddaughter of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who is accepting on behalf of all World War II veterans. On April 29, Holocaust survivors, World War II veterans and guests will gather for a day of programming and exhibitions, including a preview of the Museum's special exhibition, Some Were Neighbors: Collaboration and Complicity in the Holocaust.

The Museum will be closed to the public to mark the historic occasion.

Event corporate sponsors of the Museum's 20th Anniversary are: Ancestry.com, WorldStrides, Primexx Energy Partners, DLA Piper, Holland & Knight and the David Geffen Foundation.

20th Anniversary—20 Actions

In addition to the National Tour and National Tribute, a special 20th anniversary website, www.ushmm.org/neveragain, provides 20 actions people anywhere can take to raise awareness about the Holocaust and its continuing relevance. Visitors can share stories, photographs or videos about how the Museum or the memory of the Holocaust has inspired them to take action to confront hatred or antisemitism today, or take an online pledge to confront genocide. 

About the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

A living memorial to the Holocaust, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum inspires citizens and leaders worldwide to confront hatred, prevent genocide and promote human dignity. Federal support guarantees the Museum's permanent place on the National Mall, and its far-reaching educational programs and global impact are made possible by generous donors. For more information, visit www.ushmm.org.

SOURCE United States Holocaust Memorial Museum