skokie, ill. | The Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center announced recently that former President Bill Clinton will be the featured speaker at the institution’s public grand opening ceremony on April 19.
Clinton will join Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, foreign dignitaries, Holocaust survivors and several thousand members of the general public as the new museum officially opens.
Billed as the last international institution of its type to be built with the active participation of Holocaust survivors, the Illinois Holocaust Museum will be the largest institution in the Midwest dedicated to preserving the memories of those lost in the Holocaust and to teaching current generations to fight hatred, indifference and genocide in today’s world.
The $45-million, 65,000 square-foot museum will include artifacts such as the original volume of the Nuremberg trial transcripts and almost 2,000 testimonies of Midwest Holocaust survivors. Designed by award-winning architect Stanley Tigerman, the facility will also house artifacts such as Simon Wiesenthal’s desk and eyeglasses, Kindertransport lists and artwork made in the concentration camps.
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell spoke at an event last week leading up to the grand opening. — ap