New interactive Holocaust survivor exhibit unveiled in Arizona

"Triumph in Tragedy" was developed by University of Southern California libraries and the USC Shoah Foundation. Visitors can ask the interactive exhibit questions and receive real-time responses from Basch.

She recorded her life story over three days in September 2024. Seven months later, Basch died just shy of her 97th birthday.

“We’re very happy that Esther was able to record this in such a timely fashion. We still miss her, but her story will live forever through this conversation,” said Tony Fusco, Holocaust education director for the AJHSC.

Fusco called Basch’s survival story “amazing,” saying her call to action was “I can forgive, but I can’t forget.”

“It is extremely resounding in the sense that she believes that everyone should be compassionate, caring [and] loving,” Fusco told The Center Square.

Basch was born on May 28, 1928, in Czechoslovakia.

She survived the Auschwitz concentration camp in Nazi-occupied Poland, Fusco told The Center Square. He added she arrived there on her 16th birthday, the day she was taken away from her parents.

The Holocaust education director said Basch never saw her family again after being separated from them at Auschwitz.

While at the camp, she had an encounter with Dr. Josef Mengele, who was known as the “Angel of Death," Fusco added.

He said American soldiers liberated Basch on April 14, 1945.

Basch was referred to as the “Honey Girl” because when she was liberated, she “ate a jar of honey too quickly and became deathly ill,” Fusco noted.

After surviving the Holocaust, Basch lived in Israel, France and Canada before settling down in Arizona.

Basch went on to dedicate her life to education and public speaking.

Basch’s daughter, Rachel, said her mother “shared her story so young people would understand the dangers of hatred and the power of their own choices.” 

“Knowing her voice will continue to teach and inspire future generations means everything to our family,” she said.

The new Hilton Family Holocaust Education Center, opening next year, will host Basch’s interactive interview, Fusco noted.

"When survivors can no longer stand in front of a classroom, we have a responsibility to ensure their voices still can," said Talli Dippold, the new museum's executive director. 

“Esther’s testimony does more than tell history," Dippold said. "It invites conversation, challenges indifference and reminds every generation that their choices matter."

In the upcoming museum, Basch’s exhibit will also feature artifacts, holographic technology and other items, Fusco said.

Besides focusing on stories of Holocaust survivors living in Arizona, the museum will also present information about the Holocaust and its timeline, he added.

The museum will bring about a “greater understanding of the Holocaust, but also a greater understanding of many of the local survivors that lived in Arizona,” Fusco said.

Oskar Knoblauch, a 100-year-old Holocaust survivor in Arizona, also recorded an interactive interview, which is available at the Arizona State Capitol Museum, Fusco noted.

“ I'm so proud that this type of technology that we created will help foster a living conversation that will go on forever,” he said.

There are around 70 Holocaust survivors living in Arizona, Fusco told The Center Square.

He added that there are fewer than 200,000 Holocaust survivors worldwide.

As time passes, survivors will no longer be around, making it more important than ever for students to hear them, Fusco said.

“Stories like Esther's, as well as many of the local survivors that called Arizona home, will always be remembered, and the lessons of the Holocaust will be taught, and students will have a very engaging and interactive experience,” he noted.

For more about the "Triumph in Tragedy" exhibit, see the Arizona Jewish Historical Society's website, azjhs.org/what-we-do/exhibitions.