Holocaust Museum

It's a little late, but I'm finally reflecting on my class visit to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.  I had previously visited the museum when I was in sixth grade, four years, but I did not remember much.  I wasn't sure what to expect, so it was difficult for me to be mentally prepared.  Of course as a sophomore in high school I have done much research and learned about the Holocaust in the past.  I have even met a Holocaust survivor, but how was I supposed to brace myself for this experience?  I had figured that some things in the museum would shake me up a little but I underestimated the power of the things I saw that day.  I was expecting to see pictures of all different races of people who experienced the Holocaust, a few short films, and maybe written documents left behind by victims.  I had high standards but I honestly was not sure what to expect from the museum, and I was really surprised by the content of the many rooms.

Here are two pictures that impacted me the most.

The first picture is shoes.  Hundreds of shoes piled on top of each other, bathed in dust.  To see these shoes from only a few inches away really hit me hard, as well as the human hair.  Sure, I read about the countless people killed and tortured, but to see the shoes that were on their feet, and the hair that was on their heads, gave me a feeling that is difficult to explain.  It made the situation much more real than it already was.  There were baby shoes in the ocean of torn leather and canvas.  I felt hurt and angry for the people that once filled those shoes.


I learned so much from this experience, and I am extremely thankful for the opportunity to visit this museum again.  I was able to take away the lesson of never taking life for granted, and to be thankful for the life that I have.  It takes a lot to really learn these life lessons, and for me, they came easily due to the proof in this museum.  My favorite part of the museum was the last memorable room I had entered.

There was a round room where anyone was able to light a candle.  It gave me a moment to reflect in silence what I had just seen and heard.  Days after the trip, I was still recovering from the painful sights that I am so thankful to have seen.