30th Anniversary Guardians Commemorative Book - Book - Page 172
TAKING
RESPONSIBILITY
Supporting the
Museum is my way
of paying rent on this
earth. I am often asked
why I, a non-Jew, have dedicated
over 30 years to help build this great
institution. Motivation came from
key people and distinct pivotal
moments. My devoted second mother,
Astrid, taught me responsibility and
generosity. My Lutheran Sunday
school teacher stressed we should
never be prejudiced against others or
label them—rather, to always be openminded with new people.
A five-month trip through Europe in
my early 20s was a voyage of discovery:
different cultures, different people,
and my first real encounter with the
Holocaust. Later, on business trips to
Europe, I continued to fill in gaps in
my knowledge of history, especially the
Nazi atrocities and murder of millions
of Jews by Hitler. Visits to Dachau and
Auschwitz left indelible marks.
I read Elie Wiesel’s book Night for the
first time. Then, in 1985, I heard him
share his plan for a ‘living memorial’ in
our nation’s capital. His call to action
170 l UNITED STATES HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM LEGACY OF LIGHT GUARDIANS
captured my imagination and spoke to
my sense of responsibility. At that time
I didn’t know that Elie and his wife,
Marion, would become dear friends
and an ongoing source of inspiration
in my life, but I did know that I
needed to help this project succeed.
On the day the United States
Holocaust Memorial Museum was
dedicated, I was amazed to be part of
history. I don’t think anybody knew
how big it would be, how meaningful
it would become, or how global it
would be, but I knew we needed to get
the Museum and its lessons out to all
of America. In 1990, my late husband,
Lester Robbins, and I established
a fund for traveling and special
exhibitions that would enable the
story to be told.
Over these many decades, my
conviction has only grown stronger.
So, too, has the need for the Museum’s
educational mission. By supporting the
endowment fund, we can continue to
build on all that has been created so
that the Museum can become an even
more powerful force for good in an
increasingly frightening world.”
