"Seeing Auschwitz" Exhibit Opens in Charlotte

March 2024

By Mary Eshet

Just over a year after Judy LaPietra, associate director of the Stan Greenspon Holocaust and Social Justice Education Center, saw the “Seeing Auschwitz” exhibit in London, she welcomed the first visitors to the exhibit in Charlotte on Feb. 8.

“It was a big dream to bring ‘Seeing Auschwitz’ to Charlotte,” she said. “Thanks to our many donors, including our presenting sponsor, Wells Fargo, that dream became reality, and members of our community now have the opportunity to visit this profound and poignant exhibit.”

The exhibit provides us with a powerful opportunity to bear witness to this history at a local level. It includes a collection of over 100 images of victims and perpetrators of the camp that have survived to the present day. The Greenspon Center is proud to host this world-renowned exhibit on its North American debut.

Many long months, days and nights of hard work and attention to detail led to the opening day.

“I remember the day VAPA (the Visual Arts and Performing Arts Center in uptown Charlotte) agreed to host the exhibit in their space. That was one of the moments when this started to feel real,” said LaPietra. “It truly took a village to bring this to life. Walls had to be built, graphics produced, catering arranged, and more.”

The Nine Eighteen Nine Studio Gallery at VAPA, located at 700 North Tryon Street, will be home to the exhibit through April 15. A 5,000 square foot open space has been fitted with walls to create five rooms to accommodate the flow of the exhibit.

There were many “what if?” moments when the Greenspon staff dared to make the dream even bigger.

What if we made the exhibit free for students? With the new North Carolina mandate to teach about the Holocaust, teachers and students could get great value from touring the exhibit. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and surrounding districts embraced the idea, and by the opening date more than 4,000 students were already signed up to come to the exhibit in groups. Student tickets are funded by donations, and the Greenspon Center continues to accept donations for this worthy cause.

What if the curator of the exhibit, Paul Salmons, could travel from London to join the opening? Salmons was eager to join and see the exhibit come to life in a new city. “Two million people travel to the site of Auschwitz, in Poland, each year. But it has such profound meanings for our lives today that it is vital the story of Auschwitz also goes to the people of the world. I am delighted our internationally-travelling exhibit ‘Seeing Auschwitz’ now comes to Charlotte, North Carolina,” he said.

What if we invited very special members of our community — Holocaust survivors — to the very first opening of the doors?

That is just what happened with the Survivor Brunch on Feb.

8. At 11:30 a.m. that morning about 40 people, including 18 survivors and their guests, entered the VAPA center. During brunch, they heard about the exhibit from LaPietra and Salmons. Then, they had the opportunity to tour the exhibit, which takes about an hour and 10 minutes, accompanied by an audio guide.

“Hosting the survivors to this historic and poignant exhibit was incredibly moving,” said Rabbi Judy Schindler, director of the Greenspon Center.

That same evening, the Greenspon Center hosted another important group for dinner and a tour of the exhibit — the donors and supporters who made it possible. At 5:30 p.m., around 70 donors were welcomed by Queens University president, Dan Lugo, who expressed how congruent bringing this exhibit to the community is with Queens’ values and mission. LaPietra and Salmons shared insights into the exhibit. After the brief program and a buffet dinner, attendees were invited to tour the exhibit.

The exhibit officially opened to the public on Feb. 9 with a 10 a.m. press briefing followed immediately by student groups who arrived in orange school buses.

“These first two days of the exhibit have reinforced the months of work were more than worth it,” said LaPietra. “And it is only the beginning! The exhibit will be open through April 15.” Visit seeingauschwitz.com/ charlotte for more information and tickets.

Dreaming big does not stop with this exhibit for the Greenspon Center. One of the exit survey questions asked of visitors is: “Do you think there’s a need for a permanent Holocaust and human rights museum in Charlotte?”

“We know there is so much work to be done to combat hate,” said Schindler. “Bringing this exhibit to life has energized us to redouble our efforts to increase awareness and advocate for understanding and unity.”