Ryan Kim History 202B Dr.

Laurence Guillow A Visit to the Museum of Tolerance I walked into the Museum of Tolerance with little real idea of what to e xpect. A large and impressive looking structure, it sported a fairly modern look ing architecture as well as a spacious, and amazingly free, parking lot undernea th. The area outside of it felt like typical Los Angeles, dry and warm, pedestri ans mingling about under the vibrant green of the trees that dotted the sidewalk bordering the building. As I entered the building, there was a stark change in the atmosphere around me, as there usually is in most facilities of such nature. The temperature dropped, the air felt heavier, and a sudden silence replaced th e usual sounds of the outside world. It felt extremely modern, a stark differenc e from the museums that I have visited in the past. Although many museums today seem to be attempting to modernize their exhibits with interactive displays and video presentations, the Museum of Tolerance was especially heavy in that catego ry. From the moment I entered, it seemed quite obvious that this museum was desi gned with the Y generation in mind. After entering, passing a metal detector, an d receiving a pamphlet, the meat of the tour began. The most prominent exhibit by far was the section pertaining to the Holo caust. It was much more linear and guided than the other exhibits, and it seemed the most focus was placed on it. Each member of the group was handed a passport with the name of a Jewish child, with the fate of the child being revealed at the end of the tour. The tour was sobering to say the least. Videos depicting the atroc ities committed were shown, with little being left out or censored. The feeling of the room when the video ended could only be described as hollow. No matter ho w many times we are reminded of the nature of the crimes committed, it never mak es them any less easy to acknowledge. Most of this exhibit involved computers an d movies, which I personally do not find to be quite as powerful as the actual i tems of the era. Although the sections with videos and computers were informativ e, I was getting impatient to see what else the museum had to offer. Thankfully, near the end of the tour, we were allowed to see just that. Various wartime mem orabilia dotted the walls in their glass homes, each one telling its own story f rom its time. What stood out to me most were the various items pertaining to Ann e Frank, as well as the replica of the office of the Nazi Hunter. Anne Frank is a name I have heard of many times in the past, but I was not aware that her belo ngings were property of a museum in Los Angeles. Seeing so many of her original belongings in one place was quite powerful. The office of Simon Wiesenthal, othe rwise known as the Nazi Hunter, was an equally interesting sight. However, unlik e Anne Franks portion of the exhibit, the interest I held in his office was due to the fact that I had never really heard of this man. His drive to bring those responsible for the atrocious event is admirable, and seeing what sort of enviro nment he worked in was fascinating. Unfortunately I was not able to partake in a Q and A with a real Holocau st survivor, but on the bright side, I now have a reason to return once more. Th e message I took away most from this exhibit is echoed in one of my favorite quo tes. Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it . It was a stark rem inder of what happened such a short time ago, a way to inform those who may not be aware of the cruel reality of the event. Many of us indeed know that the Holo caust occurred, but much less are are fully comprehending of the truly awful na ture of it. The cards handed out at the beginning were an interesting touch, a w ay to drive home the reality of what the group had just witnessed. Some felt joy learning of survival, others feeling dismay that a life was taken so young for such petty reasons. It was a welcome relief when at the tail end of the exhibit, a brighter side of the Holocaust was shown, paying respect to the hundreds of p eople, normal civilians, who risked so much to save the lives of those they did not know, had no ties to. It was inspiring, a small testimony to the potential g ood of any human being.

Although the Holocaust received the most attention of the exhibits being shown, that in no way detracted from the quality of the others. The other vario us exhibits seemed to be designed with school children in mind, focusing on peer discussion and informing on intolerance we still see today. The Tolerancenter w as the second major portion of the museum, with various areas that informed part icipants of intolerance occurring in today s world. The recreation of the 50's era d iner was quite interesting. Ignoring the screens that littered the counters, it was a peculiar feeling being put in such a surrounding. The only downside was th e lack of 50's priced food and drink being served. Eventually the screens began another movie, explaining how intolerance is still well and alive today, in the form of bullying and stereotyping. Another very interactive exhibit, a series of questions were asked regarding the information that was just shown. It was hear twarming to see that the younger generation of today (including myself) still se ems to have an inherent idea of what is right and what is wrong. It's a shame th at such viewpoints aren't universally shared among humanity. The next section was time machine themed, educating participants on the blatant abuse of human rights throughout the world today. While there, I couldn' t help but think of the civil war in Syria, a very prominent example of exactly what the machine was preaching to end. It urged people to think of solutions rat her than to sit idly by, and I truly hope that as many people as possible were a ble to take away that message. The remaining exhibits were more or less the same as the others. Captivating videos, inspirational messages, and various examples of intolerance in the past, and how we can avoid it in the future. The museum wasn't truly eye opening for me, but more of a refresher for what I have learned about in the past. It can be easy to forget about all the th ings that have taken place in the time line of humanity, and it is important tha t we take steps to cull ignorance and keep these messages fresh in our minds. I was not a huge fan of the extremely multimedia heavy aspect of the exhibits, but I understand that the museum was created with the new generation in mind, and i t is one of the best ways to keep the easily distracted captivated. It did not t ruly detract from my experience, but I do prefer having a more personal and phys ical experience when visiting museums, being able to think to myself and appreci ate what I am seeing at my own pace. The fast paced shows and videos were not de al breakers, but I could have done without them. I was unable to thoroughly dig est all the exhibits being shown, as I had arrived on a school day and only mana ged to squeeze in for 3 hours before closing. However, what I had seen was enoug h to warrant a return visit, perhaps next time with a friend who could also bene fit from such reminders of history.