The international exhibit will be on view Sept. 30-Nov. 9

The Center for Diversity Education has been joined by a number of community groups to bring the internationally touring exhibition "Anne Frank: A History for Today" to Asheville. The exhibit will be on view September 30-November 9 at Biltmore Square Mall, 800 Brevard Rd. The exhibit will be located in a spacious gallery near the Belk department store. "Anne Frank: A History for Today" presents archival photographs and historical text in both English and Spanish. The exhibit is open to the public from 3-9 p.m. on weekdays and during regular mall hours on weekends. Donations will be accepted at the door.

Tours may be scheduled during weekdays for school groups in grade 6-12. Teachers who pre-register will receive classroom materials. These group tours, led by a trained docent, are $2 per student with no charge for accompanying teachers. Need-based scholarships are available.

A free opening event will be held from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 30, at the exhibit. The program will begin with a talk by Zohara Boyd and Peter Petschauer, who will describe their very different first-hand experiences of World War II. Boyd and her Jewish family hid in Poland to survive the Holocaust; Petschauer's father was an S.S. officer. Other program highlights will include a retrospective of the paintings and poetry created by the children imprisoned in Theresienstadt Concentration Camp and a performance by the Asheville Symphony Children's Choir.

In addition to the exhibit, a number of free special events have been planned, including:

Anne Frank

-- In a preview lecture before the exhibit opens, Holocaust survivor and religious studies scholar Walter Ziffer will discuss "Christian Responses to the Holocaust" at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 25, at the exhibit in Biltmore Square Mall. Ziffer will examine the diverse responses of the Christianity community during the war – from the bravery of those who rescued hundreds of Jews to the total denial of others. This event is co-sponsored by the WNC Jewish Federation.

-- A screening and discussion of "Standing Firm" will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 9, at the exhibit in Biltmore Square Mall. The film examines the Jehovah's Witness community in Europe during World War II and their refusal to pledge allegiance to the Nazi regime. Consequently, these Christians were among the first victims of the Holocaust. Following the film, local educator and Jehovah's Witness Diana Zientek will discuss "Jehovah's Witness Stand Firm Against Nazi Assault."

-- Noted Holocaust historian Severin Hochberg will give a talk on "Advocate for the Doomed: The Diaries and Papers of James G. McDonald" at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 10, at UNC Asheville's Reuter Center, Chestnut Ridge Room. Hochberg will offer a rare glimpse into the private diaries of McDonald, who served as High Commissioner for Refugees Coming from Germany from 1933-1935. Hochberg is a historian at the Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and recently co-edited "Advocate for the Doomed: The Diaries and Papers of James G. McDonald, 1932-1935." This event is co-sponsored by UNC Asheville's Center for Jewish Studies.

-- Choirs from Cathedral of All Souls Episcopal Church, Beth Ha Tephila Temple and Reynolds High School will be joined by the Keowee Chamber Music group for a concert at 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 14, at Central United Methodist Church, 27 Church St., downtown Asheville. The program, entitled "Up from the Ashes," will feature vocal and instrumental arrangements as well as poetry.

The exhibit is presented in English and Spanish

-- A screening and discussion of "Paragraph 175" will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 16, at the exhibit in Biltmore Square Mall. The film examines the Nazi orders under Paragraph 175 to arrest gay men. From 1933-1945, some 100,000 homosexual men were arrested and sent to concentration camps – only 4,000 survived. The film features the stories of five of the ten still living survivors through interviews and archival footage. Following the screening, Alice Kuzniar, UNC Chapel Hill professor of German, will lead a discussion. This event is co-sponsored by UNC Asheville's Alliance and People of Faith for Just Relationships.

-- A screening and discussion of "The Power of Good: The Story of Nicholas Winton" will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 23, at the exhibit in Biltmore Square Mall. The film recounts the story of Winton, a young British stockbroker, who was responsible for saving the lives of hundreds of Jewish children during the war. The 60-minute film will be followed by a discussion with Sue Van Dyne, a child rescued by Winton from a kindertransport in Czechoslovakia. Teachers may attend a special program with Van Dyne, beginning at 4 p.m. to earn .5 CEUs, a stipend of $36 and a copy of the DVD. Enrollment is limited. To register, call the Center for Diversity Education at 828/232-5024.

-- Respected human rights expert Mark Gibney will give a talk on "Facing Darfur" at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 30, at the exhibit in Biltmore Square Mall. He will address the ongoing threat of genocide in Darfur and how it relates to the Holocaust. Gibney produces the annual Political Terror Scale, which ranks 175 countries according to their levels of human rights violations. The scale has received wide acclaim and is featured prominently in the recent book "Human Security Report." Gibney is also the author of numerous journal articles and books on human rights.

Anne Frank's Diary

-- The final event in the series is a personal, eye-witness account of the Holocaust by American veterans of World War II. Eric Wellisch and Clarence Dotson will speak at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 6, at the exhibit in Biltmore Square Mall. Wellisch was a member of the Engineering Corp when he witnessed the horrors of Bergen Belsen. Dotson helped to bury the dead and document what had taken place in several concentration camps. This event is co-sponsored by the American Legion.

"Anne Frank: A History for Today" is sponsored by the Center for Diversity Education, located on the UNC Asheville campus, with underwriting by Kimmel and Associates, WNC Jewish Federation, Bi-Lo Foods, Teddi Segal, Biltmore Square Mall, Perry Rudnik Endowment Fund and other generous sponsors.

The Center for Diversity Education, a not-for-profit organization, encourages conversations along the lines that too often separate a community by focusing on ethnic, racial, cultural and religious diversity through exhibits, road shows and staff development programs. The Center has created 11 traveling exhibits about Buncombe County and Western North Carolina on such themes as desegregation, immigration, religious pilgrimage, World War II, genocide and globalization.

For more information about "Anne Frank: A History for Today," to schedule a group tour, or to volunteer, call the Center for Diversity Education at 828/232-5024 or e-mail info@annefrank-wnc.org. Click on www.annefrank-wnc.org for more information about the exhibit.