EL CAJON, California — The exhibit, RUTH: Remember Us The Holocaust, will close at the Rancho San Diego Library on Thursday, June 20. After a hiatus, it will be installed at the La Jolla Library in time to be exhibited throughout the year 2025.
The new exhibit will include material on the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and the liberation of Nazi concentration camps.
This news was announced May 18 at the final event recently held at the Rancho San Diego Library, which included talks by elected officials and attendance by some of the last remaining Holocaust survivors living in San Diego County.
–El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells talked about his love for Israel and the importance of supporting it.
–National City Mayor Ron Morrison’s talk was a wake-up call, emphasizing the unconditional support for Israel.
–Matt Dunford from Netflix’s Love on the Spectrum shared the history of comic book artist Jack Kirby, who witnessed concentration camps while serving in the military.
–Roosevelt Williams III, CEO of Young Black and ‘N Business, spoke about the importance of being a team and not an individual.
–San Diego County Assessor Jordan Marks recognized Rancho San Diego Library’s commitment to the Holocaust exhibit.
–The audience included Holocaust survivors Mike and Manya Wallenfels, Ben Midler, Gerald Szames, and non-Jewish Holocaust survivor Jill Oliver.
Also announced was that Rancho San Diego Library has been nominated for the prestigious 2024 National Medal for Museums and Science by the Institute of Museums and Library Services. This honor is the highest in the United States for libraries. The library included Remember Us The Holocaust in their application.
Marks estimated that close to 5,000 visitors have seen the exhibit. Also noted was the increase in speaking engagements throughout San Diego County for Holocaust survivors and myself in my role as curator.
Remember Us The Holocaust is a non-profit organization able to collect Holocaust documents and World War II memorabilia, etc. I continue to work with the Jewish Federation of San Diego and the Butterfly project, applying for grants and providing a Holocaust exhibit in a public location. The mission of Remember Us The Holocaust is to one day see a permanent Holocaust Museum that will provide jobs and opportunities for generations to come.
For a personal tour of the exhibit contact me at 619-422-3429 or visit rememberustheholocaust.org. I am at the exhibit every Thursday between 10-2. The location is 11555 Via Rancho San Diego. Above is a video of the final event.
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Sandra Scheller is the curator of RUTH: Remember Us The Holocaust