By Samuel Asher

As the calendar turns to October, things really begin to pick up at the Virginia Holocaust Museum. Our weekdays are filled with school groups visiting from across the region, many of them coming to the Museum as part of their studies of World War II and the Holocaust.

There is something very special about watching students walk through our doors. They may have learned the history from a textbook, but seeing the photographs, artifacts and exhibits—and hearing directly from survivors—can make that history feel much more real and personal.

One of the experiences I am especially excited about this October is in our Dimensions in Testimony Theater, where visitors can interact with recorded testimony from Holocaust survivors. Our featured survivor is Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, a remarkable woman whose story of survival is deeply connected to music.

Anita survived Auschwitz as a member of the infamous women’s orchestra. A talented cellist before the war, she became part of the orchestra while imprisoned at Auschwitz. Her testimony gives visitors a very personal glimpse into life inside the camp and the extraordinary circumstances that shaped her survival.

October also brings an exciting opportunity for educators. On Tuesday, October 13, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., we will host a FREE Professional Development Workshop: Music as Resistance. The workshop will explore the important role music and creativity played in Jewish life during the Holocaust and how music could provide a way to maintain identity, connection and culture during one of the darkest periods in history.

And if you haven't been to the Museum lately—or perhaps haven't been in a while—now is a great time to come back.

Our new Kristallnacht exhibit is something I really hope you will take the time to see. It tells the story of the November 1938 pogrom against Germany's Jewish population and helps put this important moment in Holocaust history into context. It is a powerful addition to the Museum, and I think visitors will find a lot to think about as they move through the exhibit.

So, as October gets underway, we hope you will stop by the Virginia Holocaust Museum. Whether you are coming with a school group, attending one of our programs, bringing a friend or simply haven't visited in a while, there is always something new to discover.

We'd love to see you!