The Traveling Holocaust Exhibit "The Courage To Remember" Opened at CSULB on September 19th, 2011

September 26, 2011

A unique traveling exhibit of Holocaust education entitled “The Courage To Remember,” opened on Monday, September 19th, 2011 at 3:00 PM in California State University, Long Beach’s Main Library (3rd floor). The exhibit is free to the public and will remain on display until October 16.

The opening ceremony, which was organized by Dr. Jeffrey Blutinger, Barbara and Ray Alpert Endowed Chair of Jewish Studies, brought numerous civic, business, political, religious, and community leaders to campus. Speakers included Senator Alan Lowenthal, Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster, Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein, Director of Interfaith Affairs, Simon Wiesenthal Center, and Holocaust survivor Gerda Seifer.

The exhibit is based on The Museum of Tolerance’s internationally-acclaimed “Courage to Remember” Holocaust exhibit. The exhibit was made available to California communities in 1991.  Two decades later its message is still relevant. “The timeless message of ‘never forget’ provides a link between generations, using history to empower each generation to resist ignorance and stand up for what is right,” stated Rodney Wilson, a member of The Museum of Tolerance’s Board.

As a result of a grant from SNCF, three identical versions of this exhibit will travel throughout California over the next twelve months, appearing in libraries, schools, community centers, and other public venues.  “It is so important that we remember and do not forget our past history so we do not repeat it,” said Denis Doute, CEO of SNCF of America. “That is why we are committed to Holocaust remembrance and have made this grant to the Foundation for California.”

Visit http://www.couragetoremember.com/ for more information.

The Jewish Studies Program at CSULB was established in 1999 to provide students with opportunities to study the entire breadth of the Jewish experience over the last four millennia. The Jewish Studies Program offers vital insights into a great world culture that has played a major role in shaping Western Civilization. In 2002, the program expanded to include both a major and a minor in Jewish Studies, and in 2007 it introduced CSULB’s first Jewish Studies graduate. An energetic Program dedicated to continuous growth, the Jewish Studies Program marked its milestone tenth anniversary in 2009.

L-R Holocaust Survivor Gerda Seifer, Barbara and Ray Alpert Endowed Chair in Jewish Studies Dr. Jeffrey Blutinger, Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein, Director of Interfaith Affairs, Simon Wiesenthal Center, Senator Alan Lowenthal, and Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster