| Part1 Testimony of Courage |
Part2 Anne Frank and her days |
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| The exhibition attracted a great response, and as many as 80,000 people attended. |
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Holocaust Exhibition Hiroshima-50
years After
End of World War II On August 15, 1995, 50 years
the end of World War II, "The Courage Remember " Anne
Frank and the Holocaust Exhibition" was held in Hiroshima. (Hiroshima
International Conference Hall, from August 15th to 24th) Its Executive
Committee along with Co-sponsorship of Hiroshima Prefecture, Hiroshima
City, Simon Wiesenthal Center, Soka University and Soka Gakkai Peace
Conference organized it. |
 Marvin Hier. Dean of Simon Wiesenthal Center |
To prosper or to be exterminated -The choice is in the hands of humanity.
To stand up for human rights. Today " The Courage to Remember Exhibition in Hiroshima "has been held and I would like to express my deepest appreciation to fellow members of Soka University and its founder Dr. Daisaku Ikeda, president of Soka Gakkai International for their efforts to this exhibition. Also I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all the people who worked hard for the success of the exhibition. |
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| I believe
that it is especially important to hold this exhibition here in Hiroshima,
a city that bears a deep significance in the history of humanity. In the
progress of technology, there are two choices: one is to use technology
for the prosperity of our society and the other is to use it for the extermination
of humanity. And it is human beings, created just like the shape of god that choose to be the masters or the servants of technology. I can say that there is no other place except Hiroshima to symbolize this fact. It was human beings that chose to attack Pearl Harbor also it was human beings that chose to drop the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Today I would like to talk about what the Holocaust means. If any of you have ever lived in countries, which are often hit by earthquakes, you will become very alert for earthquakes. Also people living near the California fault must be always alert for earthquakes. That is because they understand if earthquakes hit other places today, their place may be next tomorrow. Likewise, you cannot predict, even with the means of technology, where tragedies of human beings will take place. Next time it might be in Bosnia or in Rwanda. Or it might be in Tokyo. No one can predict. Therefore, what is important now is that, in all places where human rights are ignored, every one of you must determine to stand up for human rights, saying definitely, "Never again the tragedy of Auschwitz on the earth"  Significant opening ceremony on "The Day of the Ending of World War II" and in "Hiroshima" Dean Hier@and other guest cutting the tape (Hiroshima International Conference Hall) |
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 Amos Ganor Israel Ambassador to Japan |
Oath of the Israeli
people - We will forgive, but we will never forget. I deeply feel the significance in having this Holocaust Exhibition in Hiroshima. It needs courage to remember the tragedy of the Holocaust. However, if we do not remember the Holocaust, we cannot look at our future and if we do not learn from the lessons of the past, we cannot go forward to the future. There is one thing that we Jewish people and all the Israeli people have swore: That is we will forgive but we will never forget. 50 years after the end of World War II, human beings have found ways to overcome difficulties, but there is one thing that we still need to overcome: human rights for all people and its protection. We have to work hard to realize the right, for every body, to live peacefully and I think that it will be realized if we unite people's voices. Therefore, as a means, to hold this kind of exhibition in various |
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| places in the world or like citizens in Hiroshima who have suffered from such tragedies, make their appeals loudly--- I think this will unite people's voices and build world peace. | ||
Director
Yoshifumi Habuki, Soka University of U.S.A In January, 1993,
when president Daisaku Ikeda of Soka Gakkai International, first visited
Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, he was awarded the "International
tolerance Award" in praise of his contribution to justice, mutual understanding
and peace among races. Prior to his award presentation ceremony, Mr. Ikeda
visited Museum of Tolerance, organized by Simon Wiesenthal Center and
expressed his impression as follows." I was moved with the exhibition.
In addition, I was profoundly outraged with inhumanity of our history.
More than being outraged, I am determined to contribute to the future.
Dean Hier, Dr. Cooper and related persons were deeply impressed with president
Ikeda's words in that all that they were pursuing were condensed in his
short words. That visit initiated the exhibition "The Courage to Remember"
in Japan.
First, the exhibition was held in Tokyo and turned out to be a great success. In addition, President Ikeda proposed to Dr. Cooper that the exhibition should be held across Japan. As for Simon Wiesenthal Center, they wanted to hold in Hiroshima. To reply to their wish, President Ikeda made the determination to hold the exhibition in Hiroshima. Also the Hiroshima exhibition was the first time to make public a hand written poem by Anne Frank outside Simon Wiesenthal Center. During the holocaust, six million people were massacred and just like
Anne Frank each one of them had dreams and hopes. I suppose, the exhibition
in Hiroshima will make it clear that to learn historical facts and to
sympathize with the people drawn into the vortex are the fundamentals
for understanding peace and human rights. |
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