The Museum of Science & History (MOSH) will present the “Anne Frank: A History for Today” international exhibition, featured in hundreds of cities across the nation and more than 40 other countries, from Jan. 13 through Feb. 12.
The exhibit will be presented under “Voices of Hope,” a larger community initiative guided by MOSH that will incorporate several coordinated programs by leading organizations throughout northeast Florida. “Anne Frank: A History for Today” and “Voices of Hope” will aim to generate conversation among Jacksonville communities, from school children to prominent leaders and professionals, on the theme of universal acceptance.
The exhibition tells the story of the young, open-hearted Jewish girl who gained international attention after the posthumous publication of the diary she wrote while she and her family were hiding from the Nazis during the Holocaust.
“Many people will remember being profoundly moved by the exhibit when it was presented in Jacksonville in 1993,” Project Manager Arlene Wolfson said. “MOSH is bringing it back so that a new generation will be moved to use the past as a tool for improving their communities today.”
More than 60 years after her diary was first published, Frank’s story continues to inspire students, educators and citizens. The exhibit is designed to underscore the dangers of intolerance, anti-Semitism, racism and discrimination, and to help the next generation build a world based on human rights and mutual respect. Due to its importance, admission to the museum will be free for the first time in its 75-year history.
The “Voices of Hope” initiative will include lectures, films and related cultural and educational programming by MOSH; public and private schools in Duval, Clay and St. Johns counties; and several counties in Georgia. Also presenting related programs will be the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens, the University of North Florida, Jacksonville University, Florida State College at Jacksonville, Edward Waters College, OneJax, the City of Jacksonville Human Rights Commission, Ritz Chamber Players, Ritz Theatre and Museum and other community organizations. In bringing together such diverse organizations in this effort, organizers hope the program will provide a collective voice calling for a unified city where tolerance is valued and all people are welcome.
“The exhibit won’t just change how our community sees Anne Frank,” MOSH Executive Director Maria Hane said. “It will change how we see ourselves.”
To view a schedule of events or more information on “Anne Frank: A History for Today” and the “Voices of Hope” initiative, visit www.AnneFrankJax.com and www.theMOSH.org.
