Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center — Attraction in Niles Township

Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center: A sorrowful reminder of the past By Ashley Medina ’20 Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center is a museum dedicated to remember the grim effects of the holocaust and to prevent another one from ever happening again. The Holocaust Museum has gentle staff, meaningful exhibits, and a unique atmosphere. As soon as we opened the door to the Holocaust Museum, we were greeted with a warm smile from the security guard. Once we were inside, we needed to pass through the metal detector. The staff members were extremely kind as they directed us through the metal detector. As soon as my friends and I went past the metal detector, we were greeted by another staff member that directed us towards the front desk. The person at the front desk was fast to offer us assistance with finding each exhibit. My friends and I went straight to the Take a Stand Center exhibition. In this exhibit, we were able to see a Holocaust survivor give his or her personal experience. This exhibition gave us the ability to interact with a woman who had survived the Holocaust. This interaction was transmitted thanks to a 3-D hologram. Through this exhibition, we were allowed to get a more personal and direct experience of the holocaust. I was truly moved to see how strong the survivors were. The exhibits were not the only meaningful thing at the museum. The atmosphere as a whole was also very meaningful. It was very quiet throughout the whole museum. I think that this helped display the emotions that this museum evokes. The quiet atmosphere helped exemplify how visitors were taking in all of the information that the exhibits have on display. The quiet atmosphere also showed that people were being respectful about the information that they were provided. The lighting at the museum also added to the unique atmosphere. The dim lights helped illustrate both the sadness and darkness that the Holocaust caused. The use of dim lights all throughout the museum, helped me visualize the dark empty hole that the Holocaust continues to have on the lives of individuals. The dim lights also helped display how the tragic effects of the holocaust continue to live in the hearts of many. An unsatisfied guest mentioned, “I love museums and this one holds a special interest for me. But whenever I go the staff is so rude and short with me if I have a question about anything.” I would totally disagree with this guest because I felt as if the staff was incredibly helpful until the second that we left the museum. The holocaust museum is very educational and many students such as ourselves would totally benefit from it. Address: 9603 Woods Dr, Skokie Hours: Monday to Wednesday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Phone...

This is a place everyone should visit. We must never forget. This museum had the exhibit - The Last Goodbye for several months. I scheduled the 20m virtual tour close to a month in advance. We are not close to Skokie, 1hr. 22m drive from Capron, Il. Somehow another person was also scheduled in the time slot I had and it seemed as though I would not be able to view the event. Believe me, the museum is an entire day event without this 20m virtual tour, but I was truly disappointed. It was booked solidly through the final day. I would say the museum staff, which I believe quite a few are volunteer, worked tirelessly to manage me into an already full schedule, so ultimately, I did see the virtual tour ~ wonderful. In addition to the main section of the museum which they say is about a three hour self guided tour, they have a holographic theatre (permanent exhibit) with survivor, Sam Harris telling his story and a question and answer session immediately following. Its hard to say a wonderful place because the museum documents horrific unimaginable crimes, but this is necessary documentation and they have carried out the assorted stories beautifully. This holocaust museum, I am told, is second in size only to NY museum. (USA) This is a not to be missed place. The only improvement I would say would be for there to be a small café where you could have a bite to eat, or a cup of tea or coffee. They do have a area of vending machines we were told on the lower level, we did not go see it. The museum is a great and humbling experience....

A survivor of The Holocaust, Ida Paluch Kersz, shared her story with us upon our arrival. She broke my heart into a million pieces and I haven't stopped thinking about her since our visit a few days ago. I even purchased her book in the bookstore, "Unveiled Memories", which I haven't been able to put down. Hers is but one story of this tragedy. You will find yourself giving pause, and great reverence as you view these exhibits. You can even walk inside an actual rail-car from WW2, where it is appropriately dark and disorienting. They've done marvelous work on this museum. We came right after it opened, and it's really interesting to see how each corridor and exhibit has turned out. The staff are wonderful and welcoming, the entire experience can only be summed up as extraordinary. You must tour this museum, and be sure to give yourself at the very least, three hours to do so. Bring your children. They need to know what happened so that it will never happen again. Knowledge is power. Bless you all, and your staff, and Ms. Ida Paluch Kersz, thank you for your time, and...