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 explores her continuing appeal:

Decades ago the Anne Frank Center USA began developing ways of bringing Anne Frank's story to our neighbors throughout the United States. And we've done just that. Our traveling exhibits have educated millions through partnerships with museums, synagogues, and schools. Our actors have given voice 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 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.

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.

With much sadness we say goodbye to two of the Anne Frank Center's most respected supporters:

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 and Temple Emanu-El for so graciously hosting the Anne Frank Center in January and November: