BRANSON, Mo. — The second annual Holocaust Education Awareness Week opened today at the IMAX Theater in Branson.
This year there will be a focus on films about the Holocaust, focusing on the children affected by the tragic event.
Shira Miriam Orman, founder of the Ozark Anti-Semitism Education Center, said she wants to educate people who live in Branson or are just visiting Branson.
“We have to do something to teach against hatred and genocide,” Orman said. “Otherwise, we will repeat the mistakes of the past.”
Orman said there has been progress in Holocaust education in Missouri, especially in schools since the passing of the Never Again Act under the Trump administration.
“One of the last things he did was sign the bill and its umbrella was the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington,” Orman said. “So the curriculum and the funding are all provided through the Holocaust Museum.”
Missouri law requires school districts to observe Holocaust Education Week from January 27 to the second week of April. The pilot program will be implemented in 25 school districts starting in the 2024-2025 school year and in all Missouri school districts starting in the 2027-2028 school year.
But Orman said education needs to happen outside the classroom as well.
“As we look around the world today, we see an escalation in anti-Semitism,” Orman said. “This has not happened since the Holocaust and the subsequent events of October 7 in Israel.”
All of the films shown at IMAX during Holocaust Education Awareness Week focus on the theme “Children of the Holocaust: Before, During, and After.”
“They can take what we give back to their communities, their friends and their families,” Orman said. “Their network, and each one of them teaching and helping with Holocaust education.”
In addition to the film, the IMAX lobby features two exhibits: “Righteous Among the Nation” and “Beloved: Children of the Holocaust,” which depicts the 28 children killed in the Holocaust.
Robert Pfaffenberger watched his first movie, “One Life,” on Sunday.
“I thought it was very moving,” Pfaffenberger said. “I think this is something that everyone needs to see. It's very moving.”
Pfaffenberger said educational opportunities like film festivals are important to avoid repeating history.
“I think we're going to have a repeat of yesterday's problems,” Pfaffenberger said. “If only we looked at them now and understood how not to repeat them.”
The film festival continues throughout this week. Tickets for “One Life” must be purchased in advance and are available until April 18th.
All other screenings listed below are free to watch.
- April 15th, 10am – “50 Children: Mr. and Mrs. Claus Rescue”
- April 17, 7pm – “Beloved: Children of the Holocaust”
- April 18th, 10am – “The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler”
- April 19, 10 a.m. – “In the Arms of a Stranger: The Kinderport Story.”
- April 20th, 2pm – “Children of Windermere” and “Children of Windermere in Their Own Words”
