The exhibition, Theresienstadt's Children and Their Art, opens at the Reading Public Museum on February 18, 2012 and continues through May 13, 2012 and features more than 30 objects from the Beit Theresienstadt Holocaust Museum, Archive and Educational Center in Israel. The works, including collages, drawings, embroidery, dolls, diaries, magazines, games, and marionettes, were created by children at the Theresienstadt ghetto in what is now the Czech Republic.

There will be an Opening Reception on Saturday, February 18 from 6 - 8 p.m. The reception is presented by Hair On The Avenue and is open to the public - $15 for Museum Members and $20 for Non-Members. RSVP to lauren.mccarroll@readingpublicmuseum.org or call 610-371-5850 x264.

The Theresienstadt Ghetto, (Terezin in Czech) was established in the northwestern part of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia on November 24, 1941. It was alleged to be a "Jewish town" for the Protectorate's Jews, but was in fact a Concentration and Transit Camp, which functioned until its liberation on May 8, 1945.

During its operation, 12,171 Jewish children (born 1928-1945) were sent to Ghetto Theresienstadt; 9,001 of these children were deported to the "East," of whom 325 survived. For many of the children, these objects are the only things that remain from their lives.

This exhibition is part of "The Theresienstadt Project," a collaborative educational effort among the Reading Public Museum, the Reading Symphony Orchestra, and the Jewish Federation of Reading. The exhibition at The Museum is presented by Vist Financial.

Related Programming (additional events to be added ­ please refer to Museum Web site)

Bagels, Bach & Beyond - Sunday, February 26 - 10 a.m. - Noon
Light breakfast and live music in the Atrium. This performance features "Klingon Klez," presenting a program of traditional Jewish music (and a few surprising arrangements) in honor of our this exhibition. Admission is $30 for Non-Members and $20 for Members and includes light breakfast, the concert and admission to the Museum after the show. Limited seating - pre-registration is suggested. Call 610-371-5850 x264.

Readers Theatre ­- The Diary of Anne Frank - Genesius Theatre Players (at The Museum) - Thursday, Feb. 23 - 7 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 25 - 7 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 26 - 2 p.m.
The wonderful players of Genesius take a seat for their thought-provoking reading of The Diary of Anne Frank. $10 for Museum Members / $15 for Non-Members

Lecture (part of series) - Lost and Found: The Confiscation of European Art by the Nazis and its Repatriation - Dr. Pamela Volkman - Friday, March 30 - 6 p.m.
Series cost: $45 per Member / $60 per Non-Member; Per Lecture cost: $20 per Member / $30 per Non-Member

The Reading Public Museum is located at 500 Museum Road, Reading, PA 19611. Regular hours are Tuesday - Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 12 to 5 p.m. Admission to The Museum is: $8 for adults (18-59), $5 children/seniors/students (w/ID) and free to Members and children three years old and younger. Web: www.readingpublicmuseum.org.