Memorial Center pays tribute to millions affected by Holocaust
by Nick Nance/ The Collegian

 

   The door slams shut, enveloping visitors in total darkness but only a small part of the sensations experienced by Nazi prisoners on their way to concentration camps.
   Entering the Holocaust Memorial Center in Dallas is an entrance into a different world.
   At one point, guests are guided into an authentic boxcar that once transported Jews and other prisoners to their potential death in Nazi Germany. As the doors close, as many as 80 or more visitors feel the tightness that those prisoners felt. Only this experience is much shorter and make believe.
   "It is helpful to have something concrete for people to point out to their children instead of just hearing the story," Barak Vayn, a Jewish NE Campus student, said of the center.
   The Memorial Center offers a variety of experiences and historical information. Photos line the walls in the display room, allowing visitors a glimpse at the people and places affected by the Holocaust.
   Displays include a camp uniform, teeth, luggage, shoes and a Torah-items that were salvaged from the camps.
   A memorial room features a giant slab of marble etched with the Star of David. A pedestal holds "Grasping for Life," a sculpture with six candles to represent the six million Jews who died in Nazi concentration camps.
   All visitors can learn from what happened during the Holocaust.
   "Not only do people need to make sure nothing like this ever happens again," Vayn said, "but they need to remember those who lost their lives during this tragic time."
   Vayn has ancestors who were persecuted during the Holocaust and has heard first-hand accounts from family members who escaped the death of concentration camps.
   Vayn said there is truth to the quote from Edmund Burke: "All that is necessary for the forces of evil to win in the world is for enough good men to do nothing."
   An average of 60,000 people from all over the North Texas area visit the center yearly. The center is funded by individual contributions and admission donations.
   Reservations are necessary for group tours, and it is suggested that notification is made as soon as possible to schedule a time.
   The suggested donation for admission is $2 per student and $3 per adult.
   A self-guided, 45-minute taped tour is available. The tour is free with a donation.
   For information on availability and reservations, contact the Holocaust Memorial Center at 214-750-4672.