Apparently, a museum dedicated to tragedy does not have to leave out friendliness and fun. A guide gives each visitor to the Museum of Tolerance a personal introduction, with a second welcome provided by an electronic host composed of television screens, all explaining that, deep down, everyone is prejudiced.

The first few rooms of the museum put the Holocaust in the context of a very American message of multicultural tolerance. A television flashes images of famous civil-rights activists, while the “Point of View Diner” provides lessons on tolerance that are as easy to digest as a plate of Chef Boyardee. In immigrant-rich Los Angeles, this has made the Museum of Tolerance one of the most popular field trip destinations.

But while the name says tolerance, the second half of the subterranean museum, and the rest of the building, are unquestionably dedicated to the Holocaust. A series of high-tech dioramas tell the story of the European Jews up until their destruction. Each visitor receives a passport for a Jewish child, and at the end of the visit, a computer reveals the fate of the child.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

The museum uses as much multimedia technology as you would expect from a museum that lies just miles from the soundstages of Hollywood. The other claim to fame of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, which runs the museum, is its filmmaking division, which has won two Oscars. The founder of the center and museum, Rabbi Marvin Hier, knows how to play to his audience. Hier came to Los Angeles in 1977 with a million dollars and has built not only a museum, but also a franchise. He has offices in New York, Miami, Buenos Aires, Toronto and Paris, and has grand new plans to open a Museum of Tolerance in Jerusalem.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. We’ve started our Passover Fundraising Drive, and we need 1,800 readers like you to step up to support the Forward by April 21. Members of the Forward board are even matching the first 1,000 gifts, up to $70,000.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism, because every dollar goes twice as far.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

2X match on all Passover gifts!

$90 → $180 $180 → $360

$360 → $720

Other amount