Creative Writing: The United States Holocaust Museum

Voices of the deceased. Tattered, abandoned soles. Identification in the form of ink. Forgotten names etched into glass. Ragged uniforms of malicious soldiers. Tears welling in the eyes of all who observe. The United States Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., flawlessly captures the history of an appalling event. I find history as quite mesmerizing; the displays of the museum effortlessly fascinated me. One particular display especially intrigued me: Voices From Auschwitz. Visiting the Holocaust Museum during spring break of my junior year thoroughly exposed me to the terrors of our world. My favorite exhibit took me into a glass room with callous, black benches. After taking a seat, I glanced down and observed a pamphlet propped
up near me: Voices From Auschwitz. I proceeded to pick it up, fumble through the pages, and locate the passage that corresponded to the words projected through the speakers. Initially, I didn’t absorb the messages on the pages, but after approximately five minutes, I knew what I was listening to. Recollections, written by survivors of the dreadful concentration camp, Auschwitz, presented themselves for all to hear. Tears flooded my eyes, as the accounts grew more personal and detailed. Beside me sat the family of a survivor that recently passed away. Their tears were personal, while mine were selfish. Although I did not live during the Holocaust, sadness and guilt consumed me as I sat in the glass exhibit.
The United States Holocaust Museum holds a variety of displays on the Holocaust. Before visiting the museum first hand, I heard numerous stories of the way it makes you feel. Within minutes of strolling through displays, I became overwhelmed with emotions. The exhibit I found most overpowering included personal accounts of survivors from Auschwitz, a well-known concentration camp. In conclusion, a school trip I swore would “bore me to death”, changed my whole prospective on a historical event.