2013–14 Annual Report INSPIRING ANTISEMITISM, PAST AND PRESENT Much has been written about the alarming rise of antisemitism. The attention is important; so is historical context. Antisemitism is often called the longest hatred. It is the most adaptable and resilient—always there to fill a vacuum, provide a scapegoat, and offer simple answers to complex questions. Its durability speaks to its distinctiveness. Antisemitism has existed in connection with monotheistic religions and in other traditions as well. It has existed on the right and the left; in democratic and autocratic societies; in good economic times and bad; among all social classes; under globalization and in more isolated societies; with and without a Jewish homeland; and, perhaps most tellingly, with and without Jews. As Christianity came to define Western civilization, antisemitism grew as it served both political and theological goals. In 1492, Spain threatened its Jews with extermination if they did not convert or leave. The Enlightenment’s vision of universal rights seemed promising, but secular society too found ways to hate Jews, resulting in social and economic exclusion. The Dreyfus Affair in France in 1894 rallied antisemites of all types. Darwinism spawned a range of theories about human genetics such as the eugenics movement that was later distorted by Nazi scientists who defined Jews as a “race” capable of “infecting” superior races. For most of history, antisemitism has been a phenomenon of the right, as it tried to hold on to social and religious traditions or protect its economic status during rapidly changing times. But industrialization led to Jews being blamed for both the ills of capitalism and its ideological challenge—communism. In recent years, new forms have emerged: anti-Zionism and Holocaust denial or, more insidiously, Holocaust minimization. And we see Holocaust glorification, as demonstrators throughout Western Europe shout slogans such as “Jews to the gas.” But we would be foolish to focus solely on the recent spate of alarming acts. There is an equally worrisome problem. In Hungary and Greece, political parties with antisemitic agendas—Jobbik and Golden Dawn, respectively—have won seats in their parliaments. As a 2014 Human Rights First report stated, [these parties have] “put down deep roots that will be difficult to eradicate,” and their impact “now threaten[s] to erode European democracy from within.” Seventy years ago Allied armies first encountered the horror of the camps—the ultimate manifestation of unchecked antisemitism. Today is not 1944 or 1894 or 1492, but today must be seen through a historical lens. This is not a new problem, but Europe’s enduring one—and ours. What was, we cannot change. But what is—what will be— WE CAN MAKE IT DIFFERENT. — NESSE GODIN Holocaust survivor and Museum volunteer As we write this letter, the world is in great turmoil. The numerous problems and crises can often seem overwhelming and make us feel helpless. The role of the Museum is to remind people at all times, but especially at times like these, that history matters. We cannot understand or address the present without an understanding of the past. It also reminds us of the consequences of action—and inaction. That’s why our $540 million campaign for the future is so important. We’re pleased to report that to date we have raised $352 million in annual and endowment funds as well as capital funds for our new Collections and Conservation Center. This includes an exceptional commitment from the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation. As a result of their $10 million gift to ensure the growth, vitality, and impact of Holocaust studies in the United States and abroad, the Museum has named our academic center the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies. Like all Museum programs, the Mandel Center is focused on the next generation. Our work with and for young people—in schools, on campuses, and most crucially online— is an urgent priority. For it is they who will help shape how we respond to challenging times, now and in the future. Thank you for making this possible. Tom A. Bernstein Joshua B. Bolten Sara J. Bloomfield Chairman Vice Chairman Director TheIMPACT of your support in 2013 21 Educators from foreign countries, including Egypt, Hungary, Morocco, Tunisia, and Turkey, attended the inaugural International Educators’ Institute. 150 Testimonies by survivors, eyewitnesses, collaborators, and perpetrators were added to the Museum’s collection of oral histories. 91% Of the family research requests received from survivors, their families, or the families of victims were completed. 2 UNITED STATES HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM ushmm.org of your support in 2013 56,000 People accessed the Arabic version of the online HOLOCAUST ENCYCLOPEDIA, available in 15 languages. 9,936 US and international 6 million military officers, members of Pages of archival material were the court, and federal and local added to the Museum’s collection. law enforcement personnel participated in leadership development training. Inspiring Action | 2013–14 ANNUAL REPORT 3 RESCUING the Evidence THE IMPACT OF YOUR SUPPORT OF YOUR THE IMPACT Each month, approximately 42,000 people from more than 150 countries access the Museum’s Building the collection of record on the Holocaust is a daunting challenge, but this year the Museum acquired an average of 11 new items every week. The lost collection online. diary (above left) of Alfred Rosenberg, a confidant of Hitler who was instrumental in the “Final Solution,” was one of these items, found after a 17-year search by Museum staff. Partnerships with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the US Department of Justice were essential to locating the diary, which offers insights into a perpetrator’s mindset (see ushmm.org/rosenberg). Through the Museum’s new online search tool—collections.ushmm.org—remote access to the collection is now available to anyone, anywhere, anytime. 4 UNITED STATES HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM ushmm.org Global Reach of the Film THE PATH TO NAZI GENOCIDE Armenia NEAR EAST EUROPE AND EURASIA Austria AFRICA Azerbaijan Burkina Faso Belarus Burundi Algeria Argentina Belgium Cameroon Bahrain Australia Bolivia Czech Republic Congo Egypt Burma Brazil Georgia Eritrea Iran Bangladesh Indonesia EAST ASIA AND THE PACIFIC ASIA EAST WESTERN HEMISPHERE WESTERN Colombia Poland Ghana Lebanon India Japan Mexico Russia Kenya Libya Kazakhstan Philippines Panama Switzerland Lesotho Morocco Nepal Paraguay Turkey Madagascar Tunisia Pakistan Peru Ukraine Namibia Yemen SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA Sri Lanka Trinidad Nigeria Uzbekistan and Tobago Senegal South Africa Sudan Tanzania Togo Zambia Zimbabwe EDUCATING New Generations Worldwide The Museum’s new film, The Path to Nazi Genocide, which offers a concise overview of the Holocaust and what made it possible, was translated and distributed by the United Nations to the countries listed above. The Museum seeks to challenge people worldwide about why the Holocaust happened, as well as their own roles in society. After the special exhibition Some Were Neighbors: Collaboration & 47,500 Complicity in the Holocaust opened in April 2013, an initial evaluation showed people visited that a large majority of visitors said it would make them think differently about STATE OF DECEPTION: their own behavior. The traveling exhibition State of Deception: The Power of Nazi THE POWER OF NAZI Propaganda, which challenges visitors to think about their responsibilities as PROPAGANDA at consumers of information, began its national tour at Chicago’s Field Museum. the Field Museum in Chicago. Inspiring Action | 2013–14 ANNUAL REPORT 5 ADVANCING New Knowledge The strategic goals of the Museum’s Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies are to foster new generations of Holocaust scholars and to shape and lead the field of Holocaust studies. More than one-third of all Holocaust victims were Soviet Jews. Recently opened archives in former Soviet states have enabled staff and fellows at the Mandel Center to pursue research into previously unanswerable questions about the Holocaust in the East. Together with THE IMPACT OF YOUR SUPPORT OF YOUR THE IMPACT Russian partners, the Mandel Center organized two major international conferences on the Holocaust in Moscow. The participation of scholars from the United States, Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia began building local expertise, while the Center’s 2014 Silberman Seminar provided US college faculty with new insights on the Holocaust in the USSR to enrich their teaching. New staff scholars (below) with specialized expertise on the USSR and Ukraine ensure the impact of the Museum’s Initiative on the Holocaust in the former Soviet Union. 225 scholars attended the Museum’s two conferences in Moscow, the first in Russia focused exclusively on the Holocaust. 6 UNITED STATES HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM ushmm.org 500 people— PREVENTING Genocide including leaders of think tanks, Leading the field of genocide prevention is central to our mission as a policymakers, living memorial. This past year, the Museum led efforts to raise public awareness and foreign policy of the new international doctrine Responsibility to Protect (R2P), an important tool specialists— in genocide prevention, through a symposium, public programs, and outreach to attended the R2P the media and policymakers. While R2P focuses on the role of governments, the public program Museum’s initiative on hate speech and incitement examines ways individuals can in New York City. influence societies at risk of group-targeted violence. Giving voice to the voiceless, the Museum projected on the building photographs (above) of the plight of the Rohingya, a Muslim minority in Burma that has been systematically persecuted (see ushmm.org/rohingya). Inspiring Action | 2013–14 ANNUAL REPORT 7 COMMEMORATING the Museum’s 20th Anniversary Clockwise from above: Lighting a candle in the Hall of Remembrance during the open house at the Museum following the 20th Anniversary National Tribute (Michael Priest). One of more than 389 World War II veterans honored during the 20th Anniversary National Tour and Tribute (David Lee).