The Simon Wiesenthal Center Museum of Tolerance in New York City is housed right in the heart of Manhattan, where thousands of people probably pass it daily without knowing it’s even there. It’s definitely their loss, though, because it is an incredible place.

The Criminal Justice LLC recently took a trip to the city to see the museum on a tour guided by Dr. David Schroeder. The reason that the tour is such an informative and unique experience is because it is designed to make you think and feel. Everyone is challenged to “leave political correctness at the door,” as Dr. Schroeder said, and confront the very real issues facing tolerance. Whether the issues are of religion, sex and gender, sexual orientation, racism, or terrorism, to name a few, there are stereotypes attached that need to be dealt with.

The museum has a host of multimedia exhibits, all state of the art, that make the experiences of those facing intolerance even more real. The museum has trained educators and law enforcement as well as many other groups, and thousands of young people. It’s definitely an experience worth considering, because of the relevance of the issues it raises about our society.