30th Anniversary Guardians Commemorative Book - Book - Page 180
PREVENTING
GENOCIDE
My daughter Samantha
and I were privileged
to be part of the
Museum’s delegation
to Poland marking the 70th
anniversary of the liberation of
Auschwitz. It was heart-wrenching
and life changing. Being there
with survivors, walking at the side
of Henry Greenbaum and Estelle
Laughlin, I came away amazed by
their inner strength and will, not only
to survive, but to rebuild their lives.
After all the horror they experienced,
they faced the future not with hate
and bitterness, but with hope and
resilience. Visiting Auschwitz makes
you question everything about
humanity, but visiting Auschwitz
with them also renewed my faith in
the potential for humanity.
That’s what the Museum is
about for me—reminding us of
both the darkest and brightest
possibilities of human nature
and urging us to never forget and
never repeat. My parents were
teenagers during the Holocaust,
and while they were born in the
178 l UNITED STATES HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM LEGACY OF LIGHT GUARDIANS
United States, they were deeply
impacted by what was happening
to their family and ancestors in
Europe. The questions of how and
why—how human beings could
commit such crimes and why so
many others were complacent—
lingered throughout their lives.
It is a privilege to be in a position to
support this remarkable institution
that we believe can help answer these
questions and use that knowledge
to prevent atrocities in the future.
If we can help move this mission
forward to address one of the most
perplexing and heartbreaking issues,
even a fraction, then we will have
accomplished something meaningful
for future generations.
Just as my parents and grandparents
inspired me, we hope to inspire
others to become involved in
preventing genocide starting with
our own children. What could
be more important than working
together to save lives and promote
human dignity? We simply must try.”
