A unique and moving tribute to Holocaust victims will open to the public Monday in Santa Maria.

The memorial display, created by students from the Czech Republic, offers Americans a new perspective on the Holocaust and how European countries were affected by the loss of their Jewish communities during World War II.

The exhibit will be on display at Temple Beth El, 1501 East Alvin, through Oct. 31. It is being hosted jointly by Temple Beth El and Calvary Chapel, which, under the leadership of Pastor Paul Berry, has an on-going ministry in the Czech Republic.

The feature of the exhibit is 19 large panels prepared by students ages 12 to 21 from various towns in the Czech Republic who researched what happened to the people - their neighbors - taken during the Holocaust. The project is supported by various private and governmental organizations in the Czech Republic.

The research was no easy task, as most Czech Jewish communities, and traces of their history, were completely wiped out during the Holocaust. From Czechoslovakia alone (now the Czech Republic), 315,000 Jews were murdered, or 88 percent of the pre-war Jewish population. In all, an estimated 6 million Jews, and 5 million non-Jews, were killed during the Holocaust.

The country's project began in 2000 in book form, with students documenting individual stories including memories from Holocaust survivors and from residents who knew people that had been taken. Since then, the project has grown to include film versions and the traveling panels that are visiting Santa Maria.

Twelve of the panels make up “Neighbors Who Disappeared,” which captures the lives and fates of Czech Jews affected by the Holocaust. The students conducted research, collected photographs and documents and interviewed those with memories of the events to trace the fate of members of their communities who were taken during the Holocaust.

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An additional seven panels make up the companion “Child Victims of the Holocaust” display, similarly researched and prepared by Czech students.

All of the panels, which are held in wooden frames built by Temple Beth El and Calvary Chapel volunteers, have been translated into English for the American tour.

Traveling with the exhibit is a journal that includes entries from visitors from other states, including one written in Czech, one from a Holocaust survivor, and many from children.

In addition to the traveling exhibit, local displays created by Temple Beth El and Calvary Chapel volunteers lend an impressive educational aspect to the display.

Frequently asked questions about the Holocaust, detailed maps, statistics and definitions of relevant terms all serve to educate visitors on the Jewish faith and the Holocaust.

Also on display is Temple Beth El's Czech Holocaust Torah, which was among the Holocaust Torahs dispersed throughout the world from England following World War II.

Temple Beth El's Torah came from Holesov, Czechoslovakia, a town from which approximately 200 Jews were taken during the Holocaust. It is believed less than 20 of them survived.

A moving tribute to the Holesov Jewish community sits outside the exhibit area. A pile of worn shoes lies under the list of names of those who were transported from the town during the Holocaust.

“This is to represent our neighbors who disappeared, who we have a direct bond with,” explained Kenneth Wolf, who chaired the exhibit committee.

Santa Maria marks one of 15 stops the exhibit is making in the United States. Additionally, Santa Maria is the only place in California to host the entire exhibit. A smaller version was on display at the Museum of the Holocaust in Los Angeles in August.

Visitors are invited to view the exhibit at their leisure. Docents from Temple Beth El and Calvary Chapel are available to answer questions, paper and pens are available for guests to take notes and tables are provided so visitors can read through materials provided or discuss the exhibit.

Beginning Sunday, exhibit hours are: Mondays and Tuesdays, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Fridays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Saturdays, 7 to 10 p.m.; Sundays, 1 to 9 p.m. On Oct. 30 and 31, the exhibit will be open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Additionally, at 7 p.m. Oct. 21 and Oct. 28, local writer Steve Schwartz will present a poetry reading and show the film “Paperclips.” Reservations for the readings are required.

The exhibit is free of charge. For further information, contact Temple Beth El at 260-3113 or Calvary Chapel at 922-1822. Groups of more than 20 should call Calvary Chapel at 614-4053 for advance reservations.

Emily Welly can be reached at 739-2220 or ewelly@santamaria

times.com.

Oct. 7, 2006