"Today is history. Today will be remembered...

...Years from now the young will ask with wonder about this day. Today is history and you are part of it. Six hundred years ago when elsewhere they were footing the blame for the Black Death, Casimir the Great - so called - told the Jews they could come to Krakow. They came. They trundled their belongings into the city. They settled. They took hold. They prospered in business, science, education, the arts. With nothing they came and with nothing they flourished. For six centuries there has been a Jewish Krakow. By this evening those six centuries will be a rumor. They never happened. Today is history." ~Amon Goeth: From Schindler's List (1993)
After spending time at the Washington Monument we headed to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. It was a very moving tribute. We both picked up little booklets that told who we were for the exhibit and we both lived through the end of the war and moved to the United States. The woman who took our tickets was a survivor of the Holocaust. She was a sweet lady.

The shoes, brushes and kitchen utensils in part of the exhibit were haunting. The video footage was mesmerizing. The photos and information about countries not wanting to aide the the people suffering during that time were surreal and sickening. The number of people at the exhibit was overwhelming. Josh made it about half-way, I made it about three fourths of the way. Then we were both done. There was so much to see, to read and only so many people we could both handle. I have decided that there are just certain museums that require multiple visits and each visit needs to be dedicated to a floor or wing. Indeed. I will go back again and start midway through and go to the end. I highly recommend going when you have a chance. Another recommendation--get tickets online before you go. It will save you massive amounts of time, it did for us!