Inside a recreation of the annex room Anne Frank shared while hiding from the Nazis in The Netherlands that is featured in “Anne Frank The Exhibition” at the Center for Jewish History. Photo: John Halpern

Organizers of New York City’s “Anne Frank The Exhibition” will hand out 10,000 free copies of the Jewish teenager’s famous Holocaust diary as well as free tickets to the unique exhibit as part of an initiative launching on Thursday that will commemorate what would have been Frank’s 96th birthday.

Organizers of “Anne Frank The Exhibition” — which is presented by the Anne Frank House in the Netherlands and hosted at the Center for Jewish History in Union Square — announced this week a new initiative called “Summer of Reflection: The Legacy of Anne Frank.”

New York City Public Schools, Union Square Partnership, and the New York Public Library, Queens Public Library, and Brooklyn Public Library are partnering with the initiative to distribute free copies of “Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl” starting on Thursday – Frank’s birthday – and through the summer. Some copies of Frank’s famous diary will also join the permanent collections of schools and libraries, to guarantee lasting access for future generations.

“Anne Frank The Exhibition” features the first full-scale recreation of the secret annex in Amsterdam where Frank hid with her family and other Jews from the Nazis during World War II, and where she wrote her famous diary about her experience in hiding. “Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl” is one of the most translated books in the world. It is available in over 70 languages and has sold over 30 million copies. The book was published by Frank’s father, Otto, after the Holocaust. Anne and her sister Margot died in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945.

“In the face of rising antisemitism around the country and world, it is critical that we take steps across our city to combat hate and intolerance,” said New York City Public Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos in a released statement about the “Summer of Reflection” initiative.

“Anne Frank’s story is one of hope, humanity, and courage, and it belongs in our classrooms and in our communities as a key part of this work,” Aviles-Ramos added. “I am confident that the distribution of 10,000 copies of her diary will leave a lasting impact on our young people, just as it did on my own students when I was a high school English teacher.”

The Anne Frank House in the Netherlands — with support from Bank of America and UJA-Federation of New York — will distribute the free copies of Frank’s diary and free tickets to the New York City exhibit for students and others. Starting on Thursday from 12-2 pm ET, educators and exhibition staff from the exhibit will be at various locations to hand out free copies of the diary.

On Friday, “Anne Frank The Exhibition” will offer free admission from 2:45-5 pm ET on a first-come, first-served basis. Organizers also announced they will extend free exhibition access – for up to 250 people – for public library card holders on select Friday afternoons in July and August, starting on July 11.

“Anne Frank’s diary is not just a historical document; it is a beacon of hope and a call to action,” said Ronald Leopold, executive director of the Anne Frank House. “Her words inspire us to confront injustice and to promote tolerance and human dignity. By distributing thousands of copies of her diary and expanding access to the exhibition, we are reaffirming our commitment to education and remembrance. It is vital that Anne’s message reaches as many people as possible, especially in today’s world where antisemitism and group hatred is on the rise and the lessons of history must never be forgotten. It is what her father, Otto Frank, sought to achieve in his dedicated and courageous pursuit of the diary’s publication.”

The distribution of the 10,000 books is being organized in collaboration with the New York City Public Schools Office of Library Services, New York City Public Schools Department of Social Studies & Civics, and New York City Public Schools Summer Rising enrichment program.

“By helping to put this book directly into the hands of New York City students, we’re giving them the opportunity to connect personally with Anne’s story, reflect on the consequences of hatred, and understand the possibility of resilience and the human spirit,” said Eric Goldstein, CEO of the UJA-Federation of New York. “Particularly now, at a time of sharply rising hatred targeting the Jewish community, our hope is that young readers will be inspired to stand up to hate, to find courage in the face of adversity, and to believe in the power of their own voices.”

“Anne Frank The Exhibition” is the first time in history that the Anne Frank House offers an experience outside of Amsterdam where visitors can immerse themselves in a full-scale replica of the fully furnished rooms where Frank, her parents and sister, and four other Jews spent two years hiding from Nazi capture. More than 100 original collection items from the Anne Frank House are on display in the exhibit, marking the first time dozens of artifacts can be seen in the United States. Many have never been seen in public. 

“Anne Frank The Exhibition” opened in New York City in late January on International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The exhibit is a limited engagement and was originally scheduled to close on April 30. However, due to popular demand and after selling out tickets for its limited run within one week of opening, the exhibit is now on extended view at the Center for Jewish History through Oct. 31, 2025.