MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) – A new generation is learning about Holocaust history from those who survived it, thanks to a new facility at the Holocaust Memorial Miami Beach.<\/p>\n
7News cameras captured the moment The Education Center at the memorial along Meridian Avenue in South Beach was unveiled, Sunday morning.<\/p>\n
Holocaust survivors and community leaders came together for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a wonderful memorial that brings emotions to whoever comes through Miami,\u201d said Holocaust survivor Regina Altaras Behar.<\/p>\n
At the heart of the state-of-the-art facility is \u201cDimensions in Testimony,\u201d an innovative exhibit developed in collaboration with the University of Southern California Shoah Foundation.<\/p>\n
Visitors are able to engage in interactive interviews with survivors through cutting-edge technology.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve always liked learning, so I think teaching is the other side of it,\u201d said Altaras Behar.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re living in an era that\u2019s a lot of misinformation, disinformation about the Holocaust and a lot of antisemitism, so we\u2019re fortunate to be able to harness technology in a positive way and allow people to interact with survivors,\u201d said Matan Benaviv, chair of the Holocaust Memorial Committee.<\/p>\n
As survivors age, more pass away each year. Benaviv said this technology brings them to life.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause at the end of the day, hearing it from actual people really makes the most impact,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The center also features expansive exhibition spaces that trace the historical arc of the Holocaust and address the recent rise in global antisemitism.<\/p>\n
\u201cProbably 80% to 90% of people that visit the memorial are not Jewish, but you\u2019re teaching them the lessons of the Holocaust, and you\u2019re getting everybody together so they can, you know, make sure that this never happens again,\u201d said Jimmy Resnick, the son of one of the memorial\u2019s founders.<\/p>\n
The center\u2019s goal is to tell the Holocaust\u2019s story to everyone, as well as to show what can happen when hatred and antisemitism pick up and how dangerous that can be.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey will feel there is goodness in people, and that\u2019s what we should get the feeling out of,\u201d said Altaras Behar.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a place where I celebrate our survival, celebrate the continuing Jewish community. It\u2019s a place of celebration, in addition to a place of memory,\u201d said Holocaust survivor Allan Hall.<\/p>\n
By integrating virtual reality and historic film footage, the center ensures these vital stories remain a permanent part of the Miami Beach landscape.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are blessed that technology has evolved to a point where we can essentially present to our visitors, students, the voice and face of Holocaust survivors with all their experiences,\u201d said Resnick.<\/p>\n
Generations old and new are now learning about the Holocaust and its survivors together.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m delighted to see The Educational Center and how it turned out beautiful, wonderful,\u201d said Andy Ansin, trustee of the Ansin Foundation. \u201cWe think it\u2019s so terrific that people will be able to come here and experience the history, keep it very topical in mind of the Holocaust, and for the young people in particular, having the holograms and being able to interact with the survivors.\u201d<\/p>\n
Founder Jessica Katz said she wants people leaving the memorial to feel good and inspired, understanding that the smallest actions can have a bigger impact that they realize.<\/p>\n