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Holocaust memorial exhibition opens in Dubai

Dubai - A section of the show is dedicated to Muslims who rescued Jews during the Second World War

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A memorial exhibition dedicated to the victims of the Holocaust has opened at the privately-owned Crossroads of Civilisations Museum in Dubai.

The exhibition ‘We Remember’ opened on Wednesday, May 26 with Eitan Na’eh, Israel’s Ambassador to the UAE, and German Ambassador to the UAE Peter Fischer, in attendance.

A closing date has not been confirmed, as organisers hope it will become a permanent exhibition. This may be the first-ever exhibition in the Arab world dedicated to commemorating victims of the Holocaust.

The exhibition was established to raise awareness, by chronologically describing the chain of events that led to the Holocaust – including personal testimonies, stories and facts, in a non-political approach, said a press release issued by organisers.

The museum's founder Ahmed Obeid AlMansoori, said, “It is very important to us that we focus on educating people about the tragedies of the Holocaust because education is the antidote to ignorance.”

“Unfortunately, anti-Semitism, racism, xenophobia and other forms of discrimination are on the rise again. Shamefully, also in Germany. We must vigorously oppose such tendencies,” said Fischer during the opening ceremony.

“Education about the Holocaust is fundamental. I am so pleased that the Crossroads of Civilisations Museum has opened this exhibition. This is a start, but more should be done and I will do what I can to support it,” added Fischer.

A major highlight of the exhibition is a tribute to Muslims who helped save Jewish lives during the Holocaust, including stories of Albanian Jews rescued by Albanian Muslims. Another account details the actions of Mohammed Helmy, an Egyptian doctor living in Berlin during the war. He not only provided a haven to Jews in a cabin he owned, but he also tended to their medical needs.

The exhibition includes historical sections that showcase rare items such as the facsimile of a Mahzor, a Jewish prayer book, from the City of Worms, Germany. Its significance is linked to the spiritual leaders of the Jewish community in Worms, including Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, a medieval French rabbi who helped write a comprehensive commentary on the Talmud and the Hebrew Bible.

The original prayer book was saved from the Kristallnacht or the Night of Broken Glass, a pogrom against Jews, who were executed by Nazi forces in Germany in November 1938.

The Dubai Crossroads of Civilizations Museums is a group of three privately-owned museums, that contain collections of historical artefacts, rare manuscripts, cavalry tools and weapons collections from the curation of AlMansoori.