Your assignment is to write a 2-3 page [500-700 words] discussion of your experience at the museum.  Your essay should touch on some, though not necessarily all, of the following issues:

1.   The museum is intended as both a memorial to the victims of the holocaust and an educational exhibit.   Discuss aspects of the museum that seem dedicated to these purposes.  How well do the two goals work together?

2.  You have already been exposed to a variety of different ways to present the topic of the holocaust–documentary films, interviews with survivors, written memoirs, historical analysis, etc.  A museum uses all of these but also includes material things, or artifacts, in its exhibits.   Describe how effective the use of these artifacts is at the museum.  (Please say something more than just “It made it seem more real.”) Which artifacts were most effective?   Why?  Are there things that you would have expected to see here that were missing?

3.  How does that physical layout and design of the museum contribute to your experience visiting? (Consider the architecture–both outside and inside, the use of specific building materials, the layout of the exhibits, elevators, etc. and how they mold your experience.)   Are there specific ways in which the building design reflects the exhibit’s content?

4.  The main purpose of the exhibit is to focus on the experiences of the victims.   What points does the exhibit make about the other people involved-- the perpetrators and the bystanders?

5.  Describe your overall reaction to your visit on the emotional, intellectual, aesthetic levels? What stands out most in your mind?  What was most effective?  What criticism, if any, do you have of the exhibit?  What kind of ethical message, if any, does the exhibit try to make?