News
Family Support for the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation
Siblings from Cincinnati, moved by an appeal from the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation, organized a fundraiser at their school that brought in $1,200. The money will be added to the Foundation's Perpetual Fund, the interest from which is designated for the conservation of the grounds of the former German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp Auschwitz.
Desirous of learning more about Auschwitz and the Holocaust, Sara, Emily, and Samuel Wiser traveled to Poland to visit the Auschwitz Memorial along with their mother Elizabeth Moore and deliver the money they raised. The family met with representatives of the Museum directorate and the Foundation, who thanked them for their special gesture.
"You are an example of the next generation who will determine whether or not we remember this place and protect this place sufficiently well," said Rafał Pióro, deputy director of the Museum, during the meeting. "For me the important thing is that aside from organizing the collection in your own school you are here with us. You joined in the effort to preserve the authenticity of this place and for that we thank you very much. Our wish for you is that in your adult life you also have enough strength, endurance, and sensitivity and that you will have the strength to defend what is important to you," said Director Pióro.
Describing their efforts to raise the money, one of the pupils recalled that "in our school we organized a collection. At a special lunch where admission cost three dollars we presented a film about the Second World War and the Holocaust. That was a very moving meeting and many people decided to support the Foundation with greater amounts." The young people also stressed the fact that visiting the Memorial made a big impression on them. "When I walked through the gate, the chills came over me. It's so hard to imagine what happened here. This makes us aware how important it is to preserve this place," said one of the girls.
“When we were preparing for our trip to the Memorial we found information on the Museum website about the Intervene Now campaign. The pupils felt that they wanted not only to come and learn, but also to give something in exchange. Thus was the idea of the collection born," said Elizabeth Moore, the mother of the siblings.
"We hope that the example of these young people encourages others to take part in the action and to organize similar collections in their own schools," said Anna Miszewska of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation.
On January 27 the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation began the campaign "Intervene Now—Auschwitz-Birkenau” directed to individual contributors. A Facebook page is part of the campaign.
