For 761 terrifying days, Anne Frank hid in the stifling quarters of a secret annex in Amsterdam, fearing that at any moment the Nazis who occupied the Netherlands during World War II would discover her hiding place. She could never go outside and had to remain quiet to avoid detection.
It was in that secret annex where the 13-year-old penned her iconic diary.
This month, visitors to a Manhattan exhibit will be able to immerse themselves in a full-scale replica of that hideaway. "Anne Frank: The Exhibition" is based on the Anne Frank House Museum in Amsterdam, the site where Anne, her family and four other Jews evaded Nazi capture for two years.
The exhibit will debut at the Center for Jewish History near Union Square on Jan. 27 — International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The aim is to bring visitors closer to Anne Frank's life during her months in the annex, said Ronald Leopold, executive director of the Anne Frank House.
"We have an obligation to help world audiences understand the historical roots and evolution of antisemitism, including how it fueled Nazi ideology that led to the Holocaust," he said.
Tickets are already available online for the exhibition, which is scheduled to run through April.
Why now for Anne Frank exhibit?
The Anne Frank House museum, which opened in 1960, is one of the most visited historical sites in Europe, with about 1.2 million people touring the site annually. But not everyone who wants to see it is able to get there, and tickets sell out quickly, Leopold said. The Manhattan exhibit will give more people access to Anne's story, he said.
At a time when surveys show that knowledge of the Holocaust is fading among newer generations, the re-creation will help young Americans learn about that dark era of history through the life of perhaps its most well-known young victim.
Organizers anticipate reaching over 250,000 students around the country. They have been working with hundreds of school districts in the tri-state area to organize class trips, offering a discounted rate. Philanthropic support, including by actress Barbra Streisand, has made it possible to offer fully subsidized tours to New York City public school students as well as those at underprivileged schools around the country, said Michael Glickman, CEO of jMuse, a principal adviser to the Anne Frank Exhibition.
Organizers have also created an educational program and curriculum for teachers to use in concert with the exhibit.
Schools from New York to California have already booked visits, and residents of roughly 40 states have purchased tickets as well, Glickman said.
The exhibition is designed to travel, and after it closes in New York on April 30, it will make its way to other cities around the country, he added. A schedule will be announced in the spring.
The exhibit portrays Anne as more than a Holocaust victim. Visitors will learn about her "through the multifaceted lens of a life as a teenaged girl, as a writer, as a symbol of resilience and strength," Leopold told The Record and NorthJersey.com.
Examined through the prism of today's news, her story feels strangely current: Assaults against Jews have climbed since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. More than 10,000 antisemitic incidents have been reported in the U.S. between that day and September of this year, reported the Anti-Defamation League, which fights bigotry and antisemitism. FBI data shows that anti-Jewish hate crimes in the U.S. surged 63% last year, reaching a record high of 1,832.
With the number of Holocaust survivors dwindling and hate growing, "the mission to spread Anne Frank's story has never been greater," Leopold said.
Anne Frank's story
In 1940, Germany invaded the Netherlands and made it increasingly dangerous for Jews, deporting over 100,000 from the nation to extermination camps. After Anne's older sister Margot received a letter ordering her to report to a work camp in Germany in 1942, the family went into hiding.
Anne's father, Otto Frank, asked one of the employees of his small jam and jelly company to help hide his family above his company's warehouse. She agreed and, for two years, helped protect and smuggle food to the family in the 450-square-foot space. They were joined by the van Pels family, including their teenage son, and Fritz Pfeffer, who was also trying to escape the Nazis. The group hid in the annex's cramped rooms for two years. Life there was tense and lonely, and Anne passed the time by writing her observations and feelings in a diary.
In 1944, the hiding spot was discovered by the Gestapo, the German police, and the group was deported to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. All of them except for Otto Frank died in concentration camps.
He published his daughter's diary two years after her death, and it soon became a sensation. Although she died at the Nazis' hands, Anne has become a symbol of hope and resilience. Her diary is now one of the most widely read books in the world, published in over 71 languages. It's been made into a Broadway play and a film.
"I keep my ideas, because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart," Anne wrote at one point.
Her account "serves as both a warning and a call to action, reminding us of the devastating impact of hatred," said Gavriel Rosenfeld, president of the Center for Jewish History. "This exhibition challenges us to confront these dangers head-on and honor the memory of those lost in the Holocaust."
More:Auschwitz survivor brings 'message of hope' to Bergen in era of growing Holocaust denial
How to visit the Anne Frank Exhibition in NYC
Tickets are available at AnneFrankExhibit.org. The exhibit is designed for children ages 10 and older and adults.
Prices: For adults, $21 for a timed ticket Monday through Friday to $48 for a flex ticket on Sundays and holidays. There's a $5 discount for visitors under 17 years old.
Students: Grants, discounts or free tickets are available for certain student groups. More information is available on the website.
Address: Center for Jewish History, 15 W. 16th St., New York, N.Y.
Hours: Sunday through Thursday: 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Friday: 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Closed Saturday.
Dates: Scheduled to run from Jan. 27 through April 30, 2025.
Deena Yellin covers religion for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to her work covering how the spiritual intersects with our daily lives,please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email:yellin@northjersey.com
X/Twitter:@deenayellin
