Anne Frank exhibit in Thornhill forever preserves her life

YorkRegion.com
July 27, 2017  
Simone Joseph

Anne Frank thought about becoming a journalist.

She never got the chance to pursue this career.

But, pieces of her life, dreams, and hopes are forever preserved in her diary and in an exhibit focusing on her life called Anne Frank: A History for Today, at Dufferin Clark Library until Aug. 31.

From the Anne Frank House in the Netherlands, this exhibit includes a half-hour descriptive video about Anne Frank’s life, pieces from her diary, photos of where she lived, and pictures with her friends and family.

“It brings to life her story,” said Melanie Mowat, communications assistant with Vaughan Public Libraries. "It brings you close to Anne Frank’s life. You get to know her as a person. It brings facts in history together with what her family was going through.”

Anne Frank was a Jewish girl forced to go into hiding in Amsterdam with her family during the Second World War. They hid for more than two years before they were discovered and deported to concentration camps. Anne’s father, Otto Frank, is the only one of the eight people in the group to survive. Anne Frank became famous because of the diary she wrote while in hiding.

Mowat suggests people opt for an organized tour. People sometimes just skim reading material but a guide can point out detail, she said.

Thirteen local volunteers have been trained to give tours of the travelling exhibit.

This exhibit is available for viewing during the library’s open hours. Guided tours, self-guided tours, and group bookings are available.

Guided tours are offered during the following hours:
Mondays — 11-2 p.m.
Tuesdays — 6-9 p.m.
Wednesdays — 6-9 p.m.
Thursdays — 2-5 p.m.
Saturdays — 11-5 p.m.
Sundays — 2-5 p.m.

Or, visit Dufferin Clark Library during regular library hours to view the exhibit without a guided tour. On Aug. 17, you can hear a Holocaust survivor’s personal testimony at Dufferin Clark Library from 7 to 8 p.m. Testimony from a survivor is a firsthand account of consequences of hatred. Gain better understanding of the impact of the Holocaust.

Go to vaughanpl.info for more information.