New-York Historical Society Screens Yom haShoah's A JOURNEY WITH A PURPOSE Tonight

New-York HIstorical Society's Dimenna Children's History Museum commemorates Yom haShoah with a film screening and discussion. Featuring: Gail Becker (filmmaker), Joshua Becker (filmmaker's son), Facing History and Ourselves (organization), and Families (Ideal for ages 9 and up).

How can we talk about the toughest parts of our history with our children? To mark Yom haShoah this unique intergenerational family program presents the award winning 2012 short film, A Journey with Purpose, which documents three generations of the Becker family on their return to Auschwitz-Birkenau. The screening will be followed by a conversation with filmmaker Gail Becker, her son Joshua, and members of the organization Facing History and Ourselves.

The screening and discussion take place tonight, April 7, 2013 at 12:30 pm at the New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West between West 76th and West 77th Streets. Free with museum admission (Adults: $15, Children 5-13: $5, Children under 4: Free, Teachers and Seniors: $12, Students: $10). RSVP not required.

Synposis: Martin Becker survived four terrible years as a child prisoner in Auschwitz-Birkenau. In 2007, he returned to the death camp for the first time since his imprisonment. He traveled there with his only daughter, Gail, and his two grandchildren: Joshua, who was age nine and Eli who was a baby at the time.

Martin, 83, was apprehensive about returning, but did so at the request of his daughter. "My father was getting older, and I realized that my son, Joshua, was the same age as my father when he was taken into the concentration camp," Gail said. "I wanted Joshua to hear from his grandfather what happened there and to see, firsthand, where it happened. It wasn't just history. It was his history."

Gail was determined to take this journey so Joshua could understand his grandfather's tragic past and establish another permanent record to pass along to future generations. The film serves as a tangible way for people of all ages to convey the importance of using the past in order to prevent injustice in the future.

In the end, Gail realized that this 'journey' truly did have a purpose. It allowed her father, after more than 70 years, to say goodbye to his demons. For her son, Joshua, it gave him an internal will to fight society's injustice as he finds his place in the world. And for Gail, who grew up thinking that everyone's father had a tattooed number on his arm, it strengthened her own resolve that her son would continue in bearing the responsibility of ensuring that the past would never again repeat.

For more information on family programs at the New-York Historical Society and
DiMenna Children's History Museum, call (212) 485-9293 or visit DimennaChildrensHistoryMuseum.org

The New-York Historical Society, one of America's pre-eminent cultural institutions, is dedicated to fostering research and presenting history and art exhibitions and public programs that reveal the dynamism of history and its influence on the world of today. Founded in 1804, New-York Historical has a mission to explore the richly layered history of New York City and State and the country, and to serve as a national forum for the discussion of issues surrounding the making and meaning of history.

Through May 27, 2013, New-York Historical Society is presenting WWII & NYC, a major new exhibition on the most widespread, destructive, and consequential conflict in history. WWII & NYC restores to memory New York's crucial and multifaceted role in winning the war, and commemorates the 900,000 New Yorkers who served in the military while also exploring the many ways in which those who remained on the home front contributed to the national war effort

The DiMenna Children's History Museum is a new museum-within-a-museum and occupies the New-York Historical Society's entire lower level. It covers 350 years of New York and American history and includes character-based pavilions, interactive exhibits and digital games, and the Barbara K. Lipman Children's History Library. Families explore and learn together, through visiting the museum and through participating in our intergenerational family learning programs. All ages can enjoy and learn in the DiMenna Children's History Museum, but the exhibits are targeted at age 8-13.

MUSEUM AND STORE HOURS:
Tuesday- Thursday: 10 am - 6 pm
Friday: 10 am - 8 pm (pay-as-you-wish from 6 pm - 8 pm)
Saturday: 10 am - 6 pm
Sunday: 11 am - 5 pm

MUSEUM ADMISSION:
Adults- $15
Teachers and Seniors- $12
Students- $10
Children (5-13) - $5
Children (4 and under)- free