The murder of 6 million Jews and other ethnic groups by the Nazis during World War II is still one of the most horrific events in world history. Just as Americans will always remember September 11, 2001, so will world citizens remember the holocaust. There are reminders in various places around the world, and certainly it is important, especially for future generations, to keep the memory alive so that events like this never happen again.

     I am not Jewish but I feel that it is my duty to be cognizant of what radical and violent leaders can do. I empathize with Jews and gypsies and other victims of the holocaust because it’s part of being human, to feel another’s pain and suffering. Whenever I read about the holocaust or go to a site which chronicles its details, I am moved. The following places are designed to move you and make you remember such atrocities, and they do it very well.

    Amsterdam’s most popular tourist attraction is the Anne Frank House, where the young girl was hidden for much of World War II, only to be turned in and sent to a concentration camp toward the end of the war. The experience is extremely solemn and moving, yet not overdone. There is always a line to get in, but it is well worth the wait.

Anne Frank House

The National Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC, is less specific than the Anne Frank House but it sends the same basic message, resoundingly, into our consciousness.

National Holocaust Museum

One of my favorite places in Miami is the Holocaust Memorial at Miami Beach. It is extremely evocative of the suffering experienced by Jews during this time and does a wonderful job of informing visitors about this terrible genocide. The focal point of the memorial is a giant hand, reaching upward, with bodies clinging to it. However, there are other sections of the place which use numbers, effectively, to put the holocaust into perspective.

Holocaust Memorial