The Iowa City Public Library resonated with the powerful words of Anne Frank on October 20, as 15 young readers brought her diary to life in their native languages, marking what would have been her 95th birthday. The event, part of the 2024 Iowa City Book Festival, drew an emotional response from a diverse audience of community members and parents. 

Distinguished Holocaust scholar and National Book Award winner Dr. Theodore Rosengarten delivered a compelling address, emphasizing the enduring relevance of Frank's words and the crucial importance of young voices. The MacArthur Fellowship recipient drew from his decades of teaching Holocaust history at the College of Charleston and the University of South Carolina to help people today understand Frank's impact. 

"The reading was so powerful," reflected Dr. Kirsten Kumpf Baele, director of the Anne Frank Initiative, a University of Iowa International Programs affinity group. "People in the audience were crying. Parents were proud of their children. Dr. Rosengarten's speech was spot on. How lucky we were to have him come to Iowa to teach us about the relevance of Anne's words and why young people's voices are crucial for understanding life's complexities." 

The event showcased the universal reach of Frank's writings, as demonstrated by University of Iowa Associate Professor Kendall Heitzman's observation about the Japanese translation, "My son read the section with one of Anne's most poignant misconceptions, that her diary 'probably won't make a bit of difference.' It has made a huge difference, of course, and this most private of writings has become so universal that everyone who reads it can't help but see through Anne's singular spirit a need to do better for all the children of the world." 

The gathering also marked the unveiling of the first Anne Frank Initiative Little Library, created in partnership with Clear Creek Amana Middle School. 

John Kenyon, Executive Director of the UNESCO City of Literature – Iowa City, emphasized the event's significance, "Our work as a City of Literature revolves around building a sense of empathy, and the ability to do so with a multilingual event that can help to empathize international connections is an extraordinary opportunity." 

The success of the event has sparked plans for future multilingual readings in partnership with the Anne Frank Center at the University of South Carolina, extending the impact of this innovative approach to sharing Frank's legacy across the country. The reading was accompanied by a multimedia exhibition, “Resilient Voices,” showcasing digital stories from youth survivors of war and conflict, alongside artistic submissions from local young people. This created a bridge between past and present struggles. Dr. Kumpf Baele, in close collaboration with Undergraduate Research Fellow Ana Laura Leyser, who received her fellowship specifically for this project, curated this powerful exhibition.

As Dr. Kumpf Baele concluded, "The whole event made me proud to be a member of this community. We used passages from Anne Frank's diary to address many challenges in the world – past and present. Children nowhere should suffer! We talked about the power and knowledge of young people's voices."

International Programs (IP) at the University of Iowa (UI) is committed to enriching the global experience of UI students, faculty, staff, and the general public by leading efforts to promote internationally oriented teaching, research, creative work, and community engagement.  IP provides support for international students and scholars, administers scholarships and assistance for students who study, intern, or do research abroad, and provides funding opportunities and grant-writing assistance for faculty engaged in international research. IP shares their stories through various media, and by hosting multiple public engagement activities each year.