*This post was originally featured as part of a Summer A-Z Series on https://365atlantatraveler.com/

Tucked away quietly across the street from the vibrant green Center for Puppetry Arts sits a hidden treasure. I’m Andrea Runnels, aka www.thesocialstudieswhisperer.com, a former 5th grade teacher gone rogue and a pretty serious American History Evangelist. I’m excited to have the opportunity to introduce you to a few of my favorite sites in the southeast during the Summer A-Z! I’m starting first with The Breman Museum, that aforementioned gem on Spring Street in the heart of Atlanta!

The William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum http://www.thebreman.org/ was created to be a hub of resources for Jewish heritage in Atlanta as well as an educational outreach resource. Please note that I recommend the museum for children ages 10 and up due the sensitive subject matter.  My first visit was in November 2015 and it was such a powerful experience it took me until now to write about it! The museum features many traveling exhibits and at that time there was a great one featuring the author Maurice Sendak, who we all know and love from his acclaimed children’s book Where the Wild Things Are. What isn’t temporary is the highly moving Absence of Humanity Holocaust Exhibit. It really brings history to life.

The most impactful feature of the museum is their Bearing Witness series, which is the original reason I went to visit in the first place. Through this series of talks, Holocaust survivors share their stories. The museum has put together some amazing documentaries that are hown first before Q&A and both times I have gone to the talks I have been left humbled, inspired, moved, motivated, heartbroken, and grateful. The first woman I heard was Eva Friedlander, a Hungarian woman who survived the Holocaust by hiding in plain sight. Her ability to think out-of-the-box and problem solve to survive was fascinating. She also told the story of how her education and training as a secretary before the war gave her the skills necessary to start a business helping survivors of many different ethnicities find family members after the war ended. Her advice to kids was to get an education because that’s something that can never be taken away from you.

The second woman I heard speak was Helen Fromowitz Weingarten. Her experience was much different. Her life’s purpose is to share her story of surviving The Holocaust, especially with school children. And she didn’t just “survive The Holocaust,” she was at Auschwitz. It’s so important to take opportunities to hear “The Greatest Generation” speak NOW as much as you can. Hearing someone tell their story in person is far different than a YouTube clip. I know my life consists of first-world problems. I’ve said before I feel stupid complaining about my “battle scars” from a dog attack in 2015 when women like this have been through so much and don’t let it hold them back from their mission. The Americans rescued her and that fills my heart with so much patriotic pride!

I think it’s important to teach kids that history isn’t all flowers and rainbows and to take advantage of the museums, battlefields, and other historical sites within the region. The best way to get kids invested in history is to get them involved. After visiting a place like this, your child may be upset or be curious and have many questions. Please provide your child with kid-appropriate sources for research if they have access to technology and be careful with the movies about the Holocaust that they are watching. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas and the original black and white Diary of Anne Frank are definitely ok for kids. You might want to let kids watch The Monuments’ Men since it kind of puts a different spin on things by showcasing the attempts to protect precious pieces of art from Hitler and the Nazi party. I had a very firm talk with my 5th graders about never googling The Holocaust because the images that may appear can be extremely upsetting for adults, let alone kids. It’s also a good idea for kids to have some kind of outlet for the experience as in writing about it, creating art work,  or a way to take action. I share about how some middle schoolers in Whitwell, Tennessee did just that in Part 4 of this series.

In the meantime here are some links to some other sites that may be appropriate for your kids. Please make sure you check them out fully first! The Anne Frank House has a really neat virtual tour.

P.S. Museums have the best gift shops, don’t they?

Here is a link to the other posts in this series!

Part 2: Chickamauga

Part 3: Kennesaw Mountain

Part 4: Whitwell