After closing for more than a year to remodel, the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center will reopen its Skokie location Wednesday with new exhibits and improved visitor experiences.
“When the world feels in crisis, people look to history for lessons on resilience, on survival, on how to navigate tough times,” said Bernard Cherkasov, the museum’s CEO.
The renovations include faster security lines, bathrooms on every floor, expanded walkways, and a new auditorium with seating for 260 people.
“(We now have) 40% more usable seats than we had in our prior auditorium,” said Cherkasov. “This new auditorium is state of the art in terms of acoustics, sound system, and the lighting.”
One of the new exhibits includes a recently discovered Chicago connection to the Holocaust.
“(Chicago businessman Leo) Edelman used the access that he had to help some Jews fleeing Germany,” said Cherkasov. “His story was not known until very recently, well after he passed away, his family discovered in the attic some of his documents.”
Another new exhibit highlights the millions of Jews and non-Jews killed by the Nazis during the Holocaust.
“Even though Nazis were centrally obsessed with the murder of the Jews, they also targeted other categories of people.” said Cherkasov. “They targeted gay men and lesbians, they targeted Roma and Sinti, they targeted Black Germans, people with disabilities, Slavic people, religious objectors, political opponents, and others.”
The museum also added a reflection gallery along the exhibition for guests to take a moment if they need.
“I think this is fabulous because sometimes you just need to center yourself,” said Holocaust survivor Sharon Pitluk Silver.
As a child in Poland, Pitluk Silver survived the Holocaust but lost her mother and father in 1942, as well as other relatives when she was only a one-year-old.Her uncle survived and moved her to Ohio, where he raised her.
“I’m what is called a hidden child of the Holocaust,” said Pitluk Silver.“There’s so much hatred and antisemitism in the world and we don’t just talk about the Holocaust, we talk about loving.”
As a survivor, Pitluk Silver gives talks about her experience to groups at the Illinois Holocaust Museum.
“The museum is very important,” said Pitluk Silver. “It was started by a group of survivors who lived in Skokie as their answer after a group of young Nazis had a parade in Skokie (in 1978) and how wonderful that the museum has survived (after) it started in a storefront.”
The Illinois Holocaust Museum’s satellite location in downtown Chicago will stay open until the end of the year.
Both locations are offering free admission Wednesday on Veterans Day to all active and retired military and up to four of their family members.
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