West Hills : Multimedia Event on WWII Oppression

Examining their shared history of World War II oppression, Japanese American and Jewish groups on Wednesday are sponsoring a multimedia event dubbed “Legacies From Our Past, Lessons for Our Future.”

The event, to be held at the Bernard Milken Jewish Community Campus, is part of an ongoing dialogue between the two communities, both of which faced racism, prejudice and internment during the war.

A one-act play titled “Visas and Virtue,” is among the evening’s programs. The play is based on the true story of a Japanese diplomat and his wife who were posted in Lithuania in 1939 and issued transit visas to some 6,000 Polish Jews.

A chronicle of never-before-seen home movies shot by Japanese Americans in internment camps--called “Something Strong Within”--will be screened as well.

Eighty paintings, sculptures and multimedia installations of the “Witness & Legacy: Contemporary Art of the Holocaust” are also on exhibit at the Jewish Community Center.

The evening will end with a panel discussion led by Kaoru Oguri, the curator of the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles.

The event is sponsored by the Japanese American National Museum, the Jewish Federation Valley Alliance and the Anti-Defamation League.

The program is open to the public and begins at 6 p.m. at the Jewish Community Campus, 22622 Vanowen St. A $5 donation is requested.

For information, call (818) 587-3219.