Here's how we're stepping gently into spring...

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Dear AFC family,

Few would argue we are living in strange and worrying times, as we adjust our interactions to defend the health of ourselves and loved ones. Over a mere few weeks, we have watched as the world's priorities have shifted. We've changed the way we shop, how we work and attend school, even the very ways we allow ourselves to interact with one another.

Unsurprisingly, many have turned to Anne Frank's wise and calming words to help gain perspective and insight into how to stay hopeful during an uncertain time. Anne Frank reminds us how to be creative, to see the best in others, to understand who we are, and to imagine who we can be. A thoughtful article this week in The Forward ([link removed]) explores her continuing appeal:
"I think spring is inside me.... I have to force myself to act normally. I'm in a state of utter confusion, don't know what to read, what to write, what to do. I only know that I'm longing for something…"
- Anne Frank (Feb 12, 1944)
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Decades ago the Anne Frank Center USA began developing ways of bringing Anne Frank's story to our neighbors throughout the United States. ([link removed]) And we've done just that. Our traveling exhibits ([link removed]) have educated millions through partnerships with museums, synagogues, and schools. Our actors have given voice ([link removed]) to Anne Frank and Martin Luther King, Jr. in hundreds of theatres and classrooms, showing that a passion for humanity and peace are universal. And our in-school workshops ([link removed]) have guided teachers and students alike with tools for teaching the Holocaust and combating intolerance in our world today.

Now, we must turn to technology to help us nurture and maintain essential connections. It's a big challenge for a modest nonprofit like ours, but with dedication and generosity, we can continue to fulfill our mission.

Writing can be cathartic, energizing, transformative, clarifying, or simply offer us a most welcome and necessary outlet for self-expression. One of the most brilliant examples of the power of writing, of course, is Anne Frank’s diary. Her life and death gave us an enduring record – and voice – to an unspeakable time.
REGISTER NOW:
Spring Writing Workshops
with Rhonda Zangwill
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• Fiction Writing ([link removed])
Sundays 1-2pm
April 19 - May 10, 2020
• Writing Your Memoir ([link removed])
Tuesdays 1-2pm
April 21 - May 12, 2020
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Max of 10 per workshop
Suggested donation: $100*
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We have been busy developing online resources, such as study guides, videos, lesson plans, and writing prompts, and proudly offer a series of Spring Writing Workshops with Rhonda Zangwill, whose warmth and patience are the perfect companion as you develop your story-writing skills.

Virtual writing workshops offer new opportunities to pursue what is usually an intensely private pursuit and to reimagine it as a collective activity. Something quite magical can happens when a group gathers together to write, to read, to listen, and to respond to each other in real time and in a safe, supportive, and welcoming environment. The writing workshops are free, though if possible, we suggest a donation of $100 for the 4-session series.* Space is limited, so please register today or share the links below with someone who would enjoy writing in this guided community.
SIGN UP: Fiction Workshop ()
Tell Me a Story:
An Intro Fiction Workshop
This workshop will help writers tap in to their own creativity by giving them opportunities to follow wherever their imaginations may lead. Participants will write in response to various prompts, share their work around our virtual table and offer each other constructive feedback. This workshop will help transform what is usually a private pursuit into one that, for at least an hour, is a collective, creative experience.
4 sessions, Sun 1-2pm, April 19-May 10
SIGN UP: Memoir Workshop ()
What's Your Story:
An Intro Memoir Workshop
This workshop will help writers develop ways to organize material and hone their voices to craft engaging personal narratives. Gathered around our virtual table, participants will write in response to memoir-specific prompts and share their work if they so choose. We will then offer positive feedback and together explore ways to move everyone forward as they work to transform life into art.

4 sessions, Tues 1-2pm, April 21-May 12
*We are aware that the viral pandemic has caused financial insecurity for many. Please note the suggested donation for these Spring Writing Workshops is optional, to help support our nonprofit programs. If you can give more ([link removed]) , please do, to help enable others to join.
Happy 101st Birthday, Aunt Betty!

Please join us in celebrating the 101st birthday of Betty Bausch, aunt to AFC board treasurer Tony Polak. Betty's late brother Jack personally shepherded much of the Anne Frank Center's growth for several decades until his death in 2015 at the age of 102, the year after losing his wife Ina. As with many Holocaust survivors, Betty's story is awe-inspiring, and was featured in a 2015 article in the Times of Israel. ([link removed])
In memory
With much sadness we say goodbye to two of the Anne Frank Center's most respected supporters:

Perry Rosenstein (April 3, 2020), founder of the Puffin Foundation, believed strongly in the power of the arts to heal and educate. His generosity has supported innumerable community projects and inspired his children to follow his lead. The Anne Frank Center's continued presence in traditionally underserved K-12 schools is thanks in large part to annual grants from the Puffin Foundation West ([link removed]) and Mr. Rosenstein's daughter, Java Kitrick. He was 94.

Johannes van de Pol (March 22, 2020), was an inspiring leader and long-time board member of the Anne Frank Center USA and the Netherland America Foundation. As his friend and fellow past AFC board member Tom Wysmuller notes, "he was valiantly supportive of all the good influence of the Dutch in the New York region and the greater United States, and through his activities, educated tens of thousands on the positive nuances of Dutch impact on our history.... As a staunch supporter of Human Rights, his work with the Anne Frank Center, and Anne Frank’s story in particular, served as a vehicle for their expression." Johannes remained a friend of the AFC until his recent passing in Amsterdam, at the age of 76.

As we reflect on our mission and the impact we've made in the lives of so many across the generations, we'd like to share with you some reactions from students in the audience following two recent performances. Thank you, Lycée Français ([link removed]) and Temple Emanu-El ([link removed]) for so graciously hosting the Anne Frank Center in January and November:
"My favorite part of the play was when Anne told Kitty how she thought that the world should have peace and everyone should treat each other with respect."
"THIS PERFORMANCE IS INSPIRATIONAL"
"I learned that Anne Frank and Martin Luther King have so much in common. I enjoyed seeing how the characters must have felt during these terrible times."
"I liked how the characters related to each other but were part of completely different situations."
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In the first of a series of online videos ([link removed]) and new resources, AFC actress Rachel Griesinger ([link removed]) shares her reflections on how Anne Frank's poise and wisdom are helping her focus during this time.

Anne Frank observed in Tales from the Secret Annex, “Everyone is born equal; we will all die and shed our earthly glory. Riches, power and fame last for only a few short years. Why do we cling so desperately to these fleeting things? Why can't people who have more than enough for their own needs give the rest to their fellow human beings?”

We ask ourselves those same questions. Yet we are grateful for this community of people who see what Anne saw. Thank you, as always, for your continuing support. Thank you for making our work possible.

Wishing you and your loved ones a safe and healthy Passover,
Peter M. Rapaport
AFC board chair
Sharon R. Douglas
AFC CEO

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