Anne Frank The Exhibition at The Center for Jewish History Is a Must-See
The Center for Jewish History unveils a whole new view into the teenage Holocaust victim’s life
As the grandchild of four Holocaust survivors, I know how blessed I am to be here today knowing that I easily could not be. I don’t know why my grandparents weren’t one of the six million Jews who were killed, a fate which sadly befell their parents and most of their siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins, but I am forever grateful they were spared, and that I am able to continue carrying on their legacy today.
Part of that legacy is never forgetting what happened to my ancestors, and to ensure that the world doesn’t forget either, so history does not repeat itself. The only way to prevent another Holocaust is by learning from the past, and the new Anne Frank The Exhibition at the Center for Jewish History in Manhattan teaches visitors powerful lessons that they’ll never forget.
Anne Frank The Exhibition opened to the public on Jan 27, 2025 in conjunction with International Holocaust Remembrance Day and to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. This limited run is presented by the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, a museum dedicated to Anne that is housed in the actual annex where the Frank family hid. This is the first time that some of these artifacts have been seen outside of the Anne Frank House, and many have never been viewed in public before.
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The full-scale model of the Annex, where Anne Frank, her parents and sister, and four others spent two years hiding to evade Nazi capture, invites visitors to get to know Anne the person, not just Anne the Holocaust victim.
The immersive experience takes visitors on a narrated timeline, via personal handheld devices, from when Anne’s parents were married all the way through their capture and deportation to the Auschwitz Concentration Camp, then to the later publication and accolades Anne’s diary eventually received. The exhibit features sound, pictures, animation, and more than 100 original collection items from the Anne Frank House, as well as some of the only video footage captured of Anne.
The recreated Annex allows visitors a peek into the small living spaces, including bedrooms and a kitchen, that served as the main gathering area during the Frank family’s time hiding from the Nazis. All of the windows are covered in a dark fabric to keep them from being seen, just as it was then. The room where Anne stayed is hauntingly similar to that of a typical teenage girl today, with a desk and pictures on the wall of her interests and celebrities.
Who was Anne Frank?
Annelies Marie Frank, born to parents Otto and Edith Frank, was a Jewish citizen of Germany until she and her family were forced to flee their home once Adolf Hitler and his Nazi party came to power in the 1930’s. Anne’s father had moved his wife and two daughters to the Netherlands after Hitler enacted discriminatory laws preventing Jews from living freely in Germany.
Eventually Hitler’s power spread across Europe and the Netherlands was no longer safe, as Jews were rounded up and deported to Concentration Camps there too. After Anne’s 16-year-old sister was summoned to report to a Nazi work camp, the family went into hiding. Two years later, Nazi officers were tipped off and the Frank family was sent to Auschwitz where Anne, along with her mother and sister, tragically perished. Her father was the only surviving member of the Frank family.
The Diary of Anne Frank
Anne spent a lot of her time reading and writing, and dreamed of becoming a published author. After the war ended, her father was gifted with the now-famous journal she had managed to save when the Nazi’s ransacked the hidden annex. Anne had received the red checkered autograph book from her father as a present on her 13th birthday. At the time, no one could have predicted this gift would be used to document her time in hiding. She had asked for it because of her aspirations to become a writer someday. And she did; just sadly not the way she imagined.
Otto Frank fulfilled his daughter’s wish and had her journal published as a non-fiction book titled The Diary of a Young Girl in 1948. He probably never imagined his daughter’s words would move millions around the globe. The book went on to become a bestseller, published in over 75 languages, and is still required reading in many classrooms today. You can read the diary in its entirety for free online at a website that publishes old books, like archive.org.
This tragic story of a brave young Jewish girl now serves as both a historical document and a reminder to never forget. With the recent rapid rise in antisemitism, it is now more important than ever to revisit this chapter in history to ensure an atrocity like the Holocaust isn’t even remotely close to repeating. I owe it to my ancestors – and to all of those lost – to do my part in sharing it.
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Anne Frank The Exhibition was originally slated to run for just three months, but after tickets sold out within a week of opening, it was extended through October 31, 2025. The exhibition is recommended for ages 10 and older, although families are welcome to bring children of all ages, as it takes approximately one hour to explore. Tickets start at $24 for adults and $17 for kids (age 17 and under) Monday through Friday; $31 for adults and $24 for kids on Sundays. Family tickets are also available.
The Center for Jewish History is located at 15 West 16th Street (between 5th and 6th Avenues) in lower Manhattan. Go to annefrankexhibit.org for more information and to book your tickets, which must be purchased in advance.
