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By Aaron Haag. Volunteer Program Manager.
“Ok, now you know, now you have to tell.”
Howard Vogel first heard these words from his father, Michael Vogel, on a family trip to Auschwitz in 1985. It was not the first time Michael had been to Auschwitz. He had survived the terror of the concentration camps and was sharing his experience with his family. For Howard, this phrase changes the story from “oh, what a terrible loss” to “what can I do to prevent this from happening again.”
Since April of 2016, one of the things that Howard has done is share this story as a volunteer in the Power of Children exhibit. Howard’s father Michael is featured in a video interactive in the Anne Frank area of the gallery, where you can watch as he share his memories from Auschwitz.
Howard has always been grateful to the museum for telling his family's story, so when he retired from the paper and scrap metal industry, he decided to give back. For over a year, Howard has facilitated a special program once a week in the Power of Children exhibit. His message to our visitors is that kindness and love can help us to overcome even the most terrible things that happen in our world. He encourages visitors to ask themselves what they can do to avoid hateful acts to those around them.
He ends every presentation with his father’s words: “Ok, now you know, now you have to tell."
