watch this exchange i had with sarah bloomfield, the museum director. we're speaking about the shoes, the shoes that are on exhibit at the museum. watch this. >> these are shoes, old shoes. >> this is one of our most iconic exhibits. if you visit these killing centers today, you see thousands upon thousands of shoes like this. the shoes of the victims. the germans took their shoes because they were going to reuse them and recycle them, if you will. but of course the victims would be killed. but this is what is left of those lives. >> these shoes are 80, 90 years old and they're here. the only surviving elements for all those people who were exterminated. >> this is the trace of the people before they were gassed. >> i think of those shoes. my four grandparents, we didn't have anything. nothing was found basically. it's just horrendous, horrendous situation. it's so important, so timely to remind people who don't know anything about it. >> and i think it's so important, i'm sure you'll agree, jim, that people who come to visit washington, go to the washi

so i took a tour with sarah bloomfield. and all the people who work at the museum are amazing, really hard working, devoted. and all those involved in founding and creating the museum deserve a lot of credit. millions of people have turned the museum. it's really important. i wanted to take our viewers on a tour, and so i walked around. watch this exchange i had with sarah bloomfield, the museum director. we are speaking about the shoes, the shoes that are on the exhibit at the museum. watch this. >> these are shoes, old shoes? >> this is one of the most iconic visits. if you visit these killing centers today, you'll see thousands upon thousands of shoes like this. the shoes of the victims. the german took their shoes because they were going to reuse them and recycle them if you will. but of course the victims would be killed. this is what's left of those lives. >> reporter: these shoes are here and the only surviving elements where all those people who were exterminated. >> this is the trace of the people before they were

so i took a tour with sarah bloomfield. in founding and creating the museum deserve a lot of credit. millions of people have turned the museum. it's really important. i wanted to take our viewers on a tour, and so i walked around. watch this exchange i had with sarah bloomfield, the museum director. we are speaking about the shoes, the shoes that are on the exhibit at the museum. watch this. >> these are shoes, old shoes? >> this is one of the most

we learned something, i'm grateful to the founders of the museum going back a few decades, as sarah bloomfieldok me on this tour. grateful to her and everyone else who has been so deeply involved in making sure we never forget the atrocity that occurred during world war ii. it is so important, so timely, especially right now. >> and we know this is while you're having these conversations, you likely have your parents front of mind. what is that like? >> it's very powerful. my mom and dad came to this country after world war ii. they were both holocaust survivors. they met after the war. they got married and they were lucky enough to get visas to come to the united states, immigration visas under the 1948 displaced persons act which granted about 400,000 visas to displaced persons including a lot of holocaust survivors to come start a new life. they came to buffalo, new york, with no english, little money. they created a new life. and i grew up relatively normal. i had a normal life in buffalo. but i always knew, of course, that my parents were holocaust survivors. it was very much taught to me

so i took a tour with sarah bloomfield, the long-time museum director, who's an amazing woman.ll those who were involved in founding and creating the museum deserve a lot of our credit. millions of people have toured the holocaust museum in washington, it's so important. so i wanted to take ou