An extraordinary donation of a limited edition of “Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl,” from a Boca Raton resident helps tell the story of Anne Frank and the time she spent hiding with her family from the Nazis during World War II in an exhibition at The Holocaust Documentation and Education Center.
The book has been added to the Dania Beach center’s display of a traveling exhibit, “The Anne Frank Exhibition,” created by the Anne Frank Center at the University of South Carolina.
As the official partner of the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, the Anne Frank Center created the traveling exhibit to promote education about the Holocaust around the country. Rositta Kenigsberg, president of The Holocaust Documentation and Education Center in Dania Beach, says she discovered the Center’s work and couldn’t wait to bring the exhibition to South Florida.
“I had been looking for an Anne Frank exhibit to showcase here for four or five years, but I wanted to work with an organization that was still affiliated with the official Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. Then, I found the Anne Frank Center in South Carolina which had just created this exhibition. So, the timing was incredible,” says Kenigsberg.
An element not in the traveling exhibition is the donation of “Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl” given to The Holocaust Documentation and Education Center by Dr. Paul Hart where it will remain as part of the museum’s permanent collection in Dania Beach after the exhibition leaves in June.
The copy is one of a limited edition of 350 books produced in 1985 and the Boca Raton resident had a hand in the creation of the unique collection.
“It was coming up on the 40th anniversary of the death of Anne Frank, and I had this idea that I wanted to do something special to commemorate her and her legacy. So, not being a writer or artist myself, I reached out to an acquaintance who is an art dealer who thought this would be a great idea,” says Hart.
The first American edition of Anne Frank’s Diary was published in New York in 1952 by Doubleday and Company, about five years after the Dutch edition. According to Hart, he reached out to Doubleday and Co. to acquire the copyright. Once the copyright was secured, book designer Barry Moser of Massachusetts’ based Pennyroyal Press was commissioned to create a new edition of the book and artist Joseph Goldyne signed on to illustrate drawings of what Frank’s life may have looked like during that time. This edition became “Diary of a Young Girl: Het Achterhuis” printed by Pennyroyal Press in a collaboration with Jewish Heritage Publishing in 1985.
“Each illustration is depicted in these narrow drawings, which Joseph chose to do to represent the tight, enclosed space they were living in. Some of the illustrations show Anne looking out a small window and how scant their meals were because of the limited amount of food they had access to. Joseph really wanted to illustrate what daily their lives were like, and I think he accomplished that beautifully,” says Hart.
As for why Hart wanted to donate such a rare book to The Holocaust Documentation and Education Center, he felt it was important for as many people as possible to see Anne Frank’s story depicted in this way, especially with the current state of the world.
“I had a few copies left over, and I wanted a copy to be somewhere where people can see it and hopefully appreciate it. Also, my hope is for people to see this book and the greater exhibition to understand what can happen if discrimination and anti-Semitism, which are both on the rise again, are left unchecked. It’s not only important but crucial to not forget history and how it can be so easily repeated,” says Hart.
In addition to the book on display, the exhibition features three exhibits. The first, “History for Today,” explores Anne Frank’s early years living in Frankfurt, Germany, the years spent in hiding with her family in Amsterdam, and ultimately, the devastating fate she and her family suffered after being sent to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp when she was 15 years old.
Following the historical look at Anne Frank’s life, visitors are invited to view a photo album made by her father, Otto Frank, in “Anne Frank: A Private Photo Album.”
The photo album includes not often seen family photos of Frank during her childhood in Frankfurt.
“We’re so lucky to have these photos on loan to us from The Anne Frank Center because they have made such an impact on visitors. There are photos of Anne as a baby, days spent at the beach, playing games with her friends, and it gives us a view into how happy and full their lives once were,” says Kenigsberg.
Visitors are also encouraged to take part in the “Reading and Writing with Anne Frank” exhibit which includes a 28-minute film about Frank’s life as well as a display that features snippets from her diary.
Then, visitors are encouraged to create their own diary passage about what they thought of the exhibit and what they learned about Anne Frank’s story.
“It’s always amazing to see the impact the film has on people, especially the young people who come to see the exhibition. The kids are just enamored with her, and some of the things they write are so amazing,” says Kenigsberg.
The Anne Frank Exhibition is expected to be on display through Monday, June 30, but The Holocaust Documentation and Education Center plans to extend the exhibition’s run into November. A new closing date has not yet been announced.
WHAT:
The Anne Frank Exhibition
WHERE:
The Holocaust Documentation and Education Center, 303 N. Federal Highway, Dania Beach
WHEN:
10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Sunday.
COST:
$10, adults with a $2.51 fee, $5, students with a $2.18 fee.
INFORMATION:
(954) 929-5690 or
www.hdec.org
