A 40 ft. video installation by Michal Rovner is the first view a visitor gets at the entrance to the museum, and tells the story of Jewish life in Europe before World War II.

It's a triangular video that takes the visitor on a journey into the life of ordinary people, before the tragedy of the Holocaust. In the footage taken from films of the 1920s and 30s Michal Rovner includes images of a young couple ice-skating, men dancing, children jumping rope, and tailors at work. The sound in the film is authentic and includes footsteps, children singing Hatikvah (Israel's National Anthem), and violin music.

The reason for this initial encounter is Rovner's wish to present the life of tangible human beings and not just a general notion of a victimized people. The task was difficult, especially in a 10-minute film. Rovner says of her approach, "I took different film clips and blended them into one background, just as the Jews blended into the fabric of life in the countries where they lived."