As we move closer to the re-opening of the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum this summer, work continues on the museum’s permanent exhibit.

The permanent exhibit

The new permanent exhibit at the museum will educate visitors on the history of the Holocaust, with special attention paid to local survivors, their families and St. Louis connections. Following an introductory film and gallery, visitors will learn about the history of antisemitism before beginning the chronology of the Holocaust.

The museum features a unique gallery about the “roles and perspectives” of the Holocaust, and examines the different, and often overlapping, roles people played during the time of the Holocaust – victims, survivors, resisters, collaborators and more.

“The Survivors Gallery is the heart of the museum, a place where visitors can take a closer look at the stories of St. Louis survivors,” said Amy Lutz, the museum’s communications and social media manager. “There, the names of all St. Louis survivors we have identified will be represented. The experience will conclude with a closing film.”

The closing film

The museum is looking to incorporate new audio and video technology to tell Holocaust survivors’ stories throughout the museum. But, to do that, the museum is reaching out to the St. Louis community.

“For our new exhibit, we’re requesting footage of survivors and their family members here in St. Louis in the post-war period (after 1945),” said Lutz. “We’re especially interested in photos or videos that show local families practicing Jewish traditions. Moments of joy from our survivor community. Birthdays, holidays, weddings, other celebrations. Time with family, picnics, grandkids.”

The museum can work with all formats ranging from photos, film, VHS tapes, DVDs, and digital images.

“We will gladly scan or digitize items and return them to their owner. They just need to get them to us at the museum,” said Lutz. “No guarantee that anything will 100% be used in the exhibit, but we thank everyone for their contributions.”

Additionally, they are also looking for any footage that contains iconic St. Louis landmarks like the Gateway Arch and Forest Park. Click here for more information, or contact Jillian Howell ([email protected]) with any questions.

The survivors’ legacy

These images will be part of the film that closes the exhibit experience “From Generation to Generation: The Survivors’ Legacy.” Archival film and still images layered with oral history interview excerpts and music will create a deeply moving program that conveys the resilience and perseverance of survivors as they worked to rebuild their lives, launch families and careers, heal their emotional wounds and share their Holocaust stories with future generations.

“The closing film is an opportunity to celebrate moments of joy in the families of survivors and their families, while never forgetting – and actively memorializing – those who were lost,” said Lutz. “Submitting photos or videos is an opportunity for the community to become directly involved in this special project and perhaps see their families’ stories represented in the permanent exhibit.”