The Dallas Holocaust Museum is launching a new initiative aimed at providing every student in the Dallas-Fort Worth who wishes to read The Diary of Anne Frank a free copy of the book, which is a primary resource for teaching the Holocaust.
The Museum’s new Anne Frank Initiative will collect and redistribute copies of The Diary of Anne Frank through 2012 to students who are 13 and older at schools that do not have resources to purchase copies. The public may drop off donated copies of the book at selected locations.
Special workshops and programs on the significance of the diary, written by Anne Frank while hiding from the Nazis during World War II, are planned for both students and adults and will be announced in the Spring.
“Ultimately, we hope the Anne Frank Initiative will refresh the reading and understanding of The Diary, enhance the overall education that we can provide to the community, and highlight how fortunate we are in North Texas to have our own Holocaust Museum,” said Maria MacMullin, senior director of advancement for the Dallas Holocaust Museum/Center for Education and Tolerance.
The Diary is used by teachers across North Texas to educate students not only about the Holocaust, prejudice and hatred, but also about the nobility in human compassion of those who hid Anne Frank, her family and four others during the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam. The book has a universal appeal for teens, as Anne shares her struggles with adolescence, her relationship with her mother and her desire to find a friend she can relate to in a meaningful relationship.
The Diary is an honest, intimate portrayal of a unique individual in an extremely difficult and dangerous time in history. Anne Frank shows that no matter what is occurring in the world around us, we as humans share many of the same qualities—emotion, passion, love, desire, hope, fear and strength. Not only does the story educate us about an important historical event, but it reminds us of the importance of learning to accept our differences and embrace diversity.
New or used copies of The Diary of Anne Frank may be dropped in special collection bins at:
Dallas Holocaust Museum/Center for Education and Tolerance
211 Record Street. Dallas, TX 75202
West End, Downtown Dallas
Jewish Community Center JCC (Foyer)
7900 Northaven Road Dallas, TX 75230-3392
North Dallas
Old Red Museum
100 South Houston Street Dallas, TX 75202
Dallas, TX 75230
Tycher Library
7900 Northaven Road
Dallas, TX 75230
North Dallas
