This two-part immersive exhibition on view at the Museum of Jewish Heritage from April 23 through June 28, was developed by the nonprofit Common Circles and offers a distinctive approach to Holocaust education – beginning with shared humanity.

In the first section, We Are New York! Bridging, Belonging & Building Community, visitors will move beyond first impressions through art, photography, optical illusions, and interactive installations that reveal the multi-layered individuals in our shared communities. Visual storytelling invites reflection on how we see one another and the world around us, and how easily both people and history can be reduced to a single story. By beginning with this exploration of connection, the exhibition prepares visitors to encounter Holocaust history not as distant events, but as deeply human stories. 

In the second section, Voices Against Hate: Lessons from the Holocaust, presented in partnership with USC Shoah Foundation’s Dimensions in Testimony*, visitors engage in life-like conversations with Holocaust survivor Anita Lasker-Wallfisch and Jewish American liberator Alan Moskin. Using advanced interactive technology, visitors ask their own questions and hear firsthand testimony. 

This section provides historical context, examines antisemitism past and present, explores Jewish life and peoplehood, and highlights local stories of hope and survival that connect global history to contemporary community life. Because visitors first encounter one another as layered human beings, they can meet Anita and Alan not only as survivor and a liberator, but as individuals. 

Independent third-party research supported by a grant from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany evaluating the Common Circles approach found statistically significant gains in Holocaust knowledge, empathy, and perspective-taking among students who experienced the exhibition. Students and educators consistently describe the experience as authentic, interactive, and deeply engaging. 

In a moment marked by growing polarization and rising antisemitism, the exhibition strengthens historical understanding while inviting reflection.  

Recommended for grades 5 and up. Tours are approximately 1.5 hours. The first section, We Are New York: Bridging, Belonging & Building Community, is accessible to visitors of all age

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