April 5, 2011
K-State Student Union to honor Holocaust victims
Submitted by Audrey Taggart-Kagdis
To recognize lives affected by the Holocaust and spread awareness of the tragic genocide, the Union Program Council is presenting "Portrait 2000," an exhibition that illustrates Jewish life in Europe prior to World War II and documents personal stories of resettlement and resilience by people whose world was destroyed by the Nazis.
The exhibition, provided by the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education, is available now through Wednesday, April 20, in the K-State Student Union's William T. Kemper Gallery. It features 50 black-and-white framed portrait photographs of Holocaust refugees and survivors who settled in the Greater Kansas City area. Each portrait is accompanied by a narrative profile describing the individual's pre-Holocaust life and journey to Kansas City.
By emphasizing the prewar and postwar experiences of these individuals rather than the atrocities they suffered, "Portrait 2000" personalizes the overwhelming scope of the holocaust. It provides a connection with those who lived through the tragedy, teaching about the inspiring immigrant group and their contributions to the Kansas City community.
The gallery hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Located on the first floor of the Union, the Kemper Gallery is free and open to the public.
In connection with the exhibition, the Union Program Council and Midwest Center for Holocaust Education are sponsoring the film "Witnesses to the Holocaust: Auschwitz" at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 12. The film will be shown in the Big 12 Room on the second floor of the Union. A discussion led by a representative from the K-State Hillel chapter, an international Jewish student organization, will follow the film.
For a complete list of all UPC activities, go to UPC or call the Union Program office at 532-6571.