An Oxfordshire museum is opening a permanent exhibition showing the transformative power of a simple act of kindness amid the horrors of the Holocaust.
The exhibit at The Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum, titled 'Naomi and Arthur: Letters from Liberation', centres on the connection between an Oxfordshire Yeomanry soldier, Arthur Tyler, and Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen survivor, Naomi Kaplan.
In the aftermath of the Bergen-Belsen camp's liberation on April 15, 1945, Ms Kaplan approached Mr Tyler, requesting him to inform her family in the USA about her survival.
Making good on his promise, Mr Tyler penned a letter, sparking correspondence with Ms Kaplan's sister, Elizabeth Brandon, also in the USA.
In her response, Elizabeth Brandon said: "I am infinitely happy to know that she is alive and well and I will not rest until we are reunited."
For Ms Kaplan, this outreach ushered in a "continuation of wonderful experiences", culminating in her settling in the USA and reuniting with her surviving family.
In a heartfelt message to Mr Tyler, she said: "I met very many British soldiers and I asked everybody to write about me to my family, but nobody did it – only you."
Ms Kaplan later became a successful entrepreneur in Houston, raising three children and establishing an international meat business.
Throughout her life, she honoured Mr Tyler's act of kindness, and after retirement, championed Holocaust education and philanthropy.
Her life and legacy continue to educate through an educational programme, initiated by her children at the Holocaust Museum Houston.
Mr Tyler, having led an unassuming post-war life, remained eternally marked by Bergen-Belsen horrors.
Decades later, he publicly opposed Holocaust denial, standing with survivors and addressing national newspapers.
Ursula Corcoran, director of the Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum, said: "Letters from Liberation is a war-time story with a difference – focusing on an act of kindness, and the courage of survival.
"Through Naomi and Arthur we can remember the devastation that the Nazi regime inflicted on so many families.
"But we also see that humanity can shine through in the bleakest of situations.
"The story is also a powerful reminder that we need to be vigilant against Holocaust denial and the rise of authoritarian rule.
"The new display gives a human face to the Holocaust Memorial Day theme for 2024 - the ‘Fragility of Freedom’."
The exhibition promises an immersive glimpse into Ms Kaplan and Mr Tyler's remarkable story, achieved through the invaluable contribution of Ms Kaplan's Houston-based family and the research of Dr Myfanwy Lloyd.
Original letters, historic photographs, and first hand reports will present a narrative of resilience and kindness amid historical despair.
The exhibition opens on January 27, 2024, Holocaust Memorial Day.
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