Auschwitz. Not Long Ago. Not Far Away

Abstract

AbstractThis reviewer’s essay represents an odyssey, from question to print, that started in December 2019 with a visit to the exhibition, Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. It was inspired by a view of New York's Statue of Liberty, seen through the rustling of tall trees, planted in 2003 by Holocaust survivors on New York’s Museum of Jewish Heritage’s terrace. As she looked out – and for many days since – she’s worked to understand the “why” of this exhibition and others like it. This reflective essay begins with a descriptive, non‐judgmental account of the Auschwitz exhibition, followed by a review and discussion of the exhibition’s impact and strategies. It explores whether the Auschwitz exhibition does, live up to the potential and the promise of its title. The author views the exhibition’s effectiveness through a behavioral lens; i.e., activities and actions extending beyond the exhibition. The essay concludes with the broader question of whether Holocaust exhibitions, and other exhibitions that address inhumanity and traumatic subjects, are capable of building the necessary bridge between history, empathy, and action to ever live up to that promise.