Through the use of personal objects, rare documents and photographs, Uprooted highlights the experiences of two Jewish families featuring materials from Holocaust Museum Houston's Permanent Collection.

For centuries, the Jewish people endured many periods of discrimination combined with periods of tolerance. From expulsions from Spain in 1492 to pogroms in Russia to full citizenship rights in France, they were forced to adapt to ever-changing policies of governments and forced migrations. This exhibition takes visitors through the decisions European Jews faced as they encountered totalitarianism, antisemitism and later the "Final Solution" policies of the Nazis.

Uprooted includes numerous artifacts and documents on view for the first time. The Abramowicz-Mescherowsky-Teixidor and Levenback-Bielitz collections permit the examination of the difficult choices faced by these particular Jewish families — choices like placing a child alone on a Kindertransport or whether to remain in hiding and, in some cases, join the resistance or having to flee to foreign countries. The exhibition exemplifies the hope that safety could be found and lives re-established elsewhere, despite the annihilation policies of the Nazi government. Also explored are the post-Holocaust lives of both families as they sought restitution and, for some, emigration to the United States.

On view through Sept. 29.