Two perspectives on the Holocaust
On March 15, the opening of "The Exhibit: A Journey to Life" at the Monmouth Museum will bring to life the world that was lost during the Holocaust.

Suitcases, scrapbooks, family photographs and other memorabilia are part of the multimedia exhibits, "A Journey to Life," which documents the life experiences of Holocaust survivors, and "Voices of Today's Children - Through their Art," which presents impressions of the Holocaust through the artwork of students.

Suitcases, symbolic of the travels and travails of Holocaust victims, present the life experiences of local survivors. Scrapbooks containing treasured photographs, documents and other mementos weave together the story of each survivor's personal journey. Maps, timelines, video and artifacts supplement the survivors' histories.

This multimedia, interactive exhibition is a joint presentation by the Holocaust, Genocide & Human Rights Education Center at Brookdale Community College and the Monmouth Museum.

To underscore the fact that genocide persists today, the exhibit features a global perspective of genocide featuring historical and contemporary genocides, current areas of crisis and suggestions for individual activism.

"Voices of Today's Children - Through their Art," presented in conjunction with "A Journey to Life," presents impressions of the Holocaust through artwork of student participants in the Luna Kaufman Writing and Art Contest. Named in honor of Luna Kaufman, a Holocaust survivor and pioneer in Holocaust Education, this contest is part of a wide spectrum of programs offered by the Holocaust, Center.

"A Journey to Life" is appropriate for adults and students in grades five and up. Group tours are available and reservations are required.

Holocaust survivors will share their stories in presentations at the museum throughout the duration of the exhibition. The presentations are free and open to the public; contact Marion Kanaga at 732-747-2266 to register.

My Art: Retrieving my Holocaust Memory will be presentedMonday, March 23, from 7-9 p.m.

Claire Boren survived the Holocaust in Poland as a young child with her mother in hiding. Years later she realized her artistic creations were images from her Holocaust experience she had been unable to recall. Claire will bring her art and describe the process that enabled her to remember as she shares the story of her life experience for a program on art by a Holocaust survivor.

Rescue in the Holocaust will be presented Monday, March 30, from 7-9 p.m.

An ordinary person does extraordinary things: risking his life and the lives of his loved ones to rescue another. Local resident and Holocaust survivor Cass Lewart will describe how he found the family who saved his life and how he had them recently declared Righteous of the Nations by Yad Vashem, The Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority in Israel.

The Monmouth Museum is located on the Brookdale Community College Campus, Newman Springs Road, in Lincroft, at parking lot 1. Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. Call the museum at 732-747-2266 for additional information, or visit www.monmouthmuseum.org.