International Holocaust exhibit comes to Boston

Also: Lowell Christmas tree farm to become nature sanctuary; Fuller Craft Museum announces $1M renovation [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  January 12, 2024 ☀️ Sunny, with a high near 47. Heavy rain expected tonight closer to midnight. Good Morning Boston, It's Friday, and the week is nearly over! We're about as happy as this [cheerful rat digging through trash on the Boston Common.]( Now, to the news: - A collection of 700 Holocaust artifacts — hundreds of which are from the archives of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum — is coming to Boston. The [international exhibition]( “Auschwitz. Not Long Ago. Not Far Away,” will be at Boston's Saunders Castle at Park Plaza from March 15 through Sept. 2. - The heartbreaking and powerful collection includes items that illustrate the lives of Jewish people and other victims of Nazi persecution who were interred and died at the Auschwitz concentration camp. [An estimated 1.1 million people were killed]( at Auschwitz, the largest Nazi extermination camp. Of those victims, 90% were Jewish. - What to expect: The sobering exhibit includes shoes, eyeglasses, suitcases, uniforms, letters, rings and other carefully preserved historical objects that once belonged to people murdered at Auschwitz. "We also have artifacts that relate to architects, the engineers that participated in the construction of the gas chambers," said Luis Ferreiro, director of Musealia, who helped organized the exhibit in collaboration with the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum in Poland. He said the collection urges the realization that "genocide is not possible without the complicity of large parts of society." - In 2019, the exhibit came to New York City, which [Here & Now covered at the time](. Tickets this year cost $34.95, and Boston will likely be the only stop on the East Coast during the exhibit's 14-city educational tour. "The most important thing about [an] artifact is not what we can see, but what we can learn about them and the story they hold," said Ferreiro. "It's an exhibition that can actually bring people together in understanding where ideologies of hatred can lead." - One of the largest student loan providers is about to cut a sizable check to Massachusetts. Nelnet has agreed to pay the state $1.8 million to resolve allegations that it didn't do enough to help borrowers with affordable income-driven repayment plans renew their enrollment, as reported in [The Washington Post](. - Zoom in: Companies like Nelnet are paid by the federal government and private lenders to collect student loan payments, answer questions and provide resources to keep people from defaulting on their loans. In this case, Attorney General Andrea Campbell said the company did not to tell borrowers with adequate notice — 60 days is the legal requirement — to resubmit their earnings and family size so they could stay enrolled in an income-driven repayment plan. - In the settlement: According to the Post, the state may use $800,000 to urge borrowers with older bank-based federal loans consolidate them (there are so many newer student loan forgiveness programs, [including one as of this morning](. - We're in the midst of respiratory virus season. [COVID cases are just now starting to moderate after a spike early this year]( flu severity is high; and RSV is starting to recede after a big upswing, Massachusetts health officials say. [According to reporting from WBUR's Priyanka Dayal McCluskey]( doctors attribute the increases to gatherings over the holiday season, a new [COVID variant]( and [seasonal virus transmission patterns.]( - What can people do? Get vaccinated, according to doctors Priyanka spoke with. So far, only about 1 in 5 Massachusetts residents have received a recent COVID shot, and 1 in 3 have received their flu shots, [according to state data](. - Bye, Belichick: The longtime New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick and team owner Robert Kraft [officially confirmed yesterday]( morning's early reports that the two are mutually parting ways. During a press conference at Gillette Stadium, Belichick said he'd "always be a Patriot." - Belichick's farewell: "We had a vision of building a winner, building a championship football team here, and that's exceeded my wildest dreams and expectations, the amount of success that we were able to achieve together through a lot of hard work and contributions of so many people." - Kraft's response to Belichick's departure: "Like a good marriage, a good coach-owner relationship requires a lot of hard work, and I'm very proud that our partnership lasted 24 years." - In the locker room: ESPN's Mike Reiss told WBUR there were a range of feelings. "One used the word 'sad' to describe their emotions, but also said they understood based on where things were," Reiss told WBUR. "Another was surprised, thought that Bill would be back for a 25th season." Former all-star Patriots players, including [Tom Brady]( and [Julian Edelman]( also shared tributes. P.S. — January is the best month to spot which migratory bird? If you think you know, take our [Boston News Quiz]( and see how well your knowledge of this week's stories compares to other WBUR readers! Hanna Ali Associate Producer, Newsletters Meagan McGinnes Assistant Managing Editor, Newsletters  Support the news  The Rundown [Adults younger than 21 cannot be sentenced to life without parole, Mass. Supreme Judicial Court rules]( It's estimated that some 300 people in Massachusetts are serving life without parole sentences for murders committed before they were 21 years old. [Read more.]( [Adults younger than 21 cannot be sentenced to life without parole, Mass. Supreme Judicial Court rules]( It's estimated that some 300 people in Massachusetts are serving life without parole sentences for murders committed before they were 21 years old. [Read more.]( [Fuller Craft Museum announces $1 million renovation after anonymous gift]( The donation is among the largest in the museum’s 55-year history and will be used to restore and update the museum’s exterior and facilities. [Read more.]( [Fuller Craft Museum announces $1 million renovation after anonymous gift]( The donation is among the largest in the museum’s 55-year history and will be used to restore and update the museum’s exterior and facilities. [Read more.]( [Settlement reached in eBay cyberstalking case]( E-commerce company eBay has agreed to pay $3 million and submit to independent monitoring to avoid further criminal prosecution in a case that included tactics such as sending a bloody pig mask and live insects to a Natick couple's home. [Read more.]( [Settlement reached in eBay cyberstalking case]( E-commerce company eBay has agreed to pay $3 million and submit to independent monitoring to avoid further criminal prosecution in a case that included tactics such as sending a bloody pig mask and live insects to a Natick couple's home. [Read more.]( [A recent lawsuit alleges 'excessive' defects at Boeing parts supplier]( The lawsuit doesn't specifically mention door plug systems like the one that failed last week. But it adds to the scrutiny of Spirit AeroSystems, which has been linked to other problems. [Read more.]( [A recent lawsuit alleges 'excessive' defects at Boeing parts supplier]( The lawsuit doesn't specifically mention door plug systems like the one that failed last week. But it adds to the scrutiny of Spirit AeroSystems, which has been linked to other problems. [Read more.]( [U.S. and U.K. strike Houthi targets in Yemen]( The airstrikes on multiple Houthi targets in Yemen follow more than two months of attacks by the Iran-backed militants against cargo ships and U.S. warships in the Red Sea. [Read more.]( [U.S. and U.K. strike Houthi targets in Yemen]( The airstrikes on multiple Houthi targets in Yemen follow more than two months of attacks by the Iran-backed militants against cargo ships and U.S. warships in the Red Sea. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Goodbye, dark cloud. Goodbye, hoodie. Goodbye, international man of misery. After 24 years, Bill Belichick has issued his final, gruff pronouncement in a Patriots sweatshirt. But his career still can teach us a lot about winning, [writes Joanna Weiss in this Cognoscenti commentary](. - We have three more winter arts guides for you. If you'd like to get out and explore, these [14 art exhibits]( or these [13 dance events]( are worth your while. If you'd rather stay home curled up on the couch with a book, [check out these suggestions of what to read](. - It's all about good vibes and crystals at Body, Stone and Soul in Jamaica Plain. [WBUR's Arielle Gray recently visited the shop]( which is Boston’s only Black-owned, brick-and-mortar metaphysical store. Read on to learn more about the owners and how the shop came to be.  What We're Reading 📚 - Why are there massive clown heads stuck between two buildings in downtown Boston? ([Boston.com]( - Scientists Scramble to Keep Dog Aging Project Alive ([The New York Times]( - Who will replace Bill Belichick? Here are 10 names to watch. ([The Boston Globe](  Tell Me Something Good [Group to turn Lowell Christmas tree farm into nature sanctuary]( The area will be restored to a forest with trails and will also have a sustainable vegetable farm, an educational center and a community garden. [Read more.]( [Group to turn Lowell Christmas tree farm into nature sanctuary]( The area will be restored to a forest with trails and will also have a sustainable vegetable farm, an educational center and a community garden. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common is chatting with Senior Arts and Culture Editor Dianna Bell to [share some of her top arts and culture event picks this winter.]( Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: Welcome to [tropical Boston, Philippines.]( 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 🔎 Explore [WBUR's Field Guide]( stories, events and more. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news    Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences.](  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. 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