A bench inscribed with a famous quote from diarist Anne Frank is part of sculptor Yaacov Heller's Garden of Humanity at Royal Palm Place in Boca Raton. (Photo by Linda Chase)

Imagine living in cramped quarters fearing for your life every waking moment. This was the life diarist Anne Frank lived for over two years during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, as she penned what became known as one of the most iconic literary works of the Holocaust era, and perhaps of all time.

Deprived of her childhood and freedom, Anne, who gained fame posthumously for her journal, has been a symbol of hope and inspiration for generations and will be for generations to come.

June 25th will mark 75 years since “The Diary of a Young Girl,” also known as “The Diary of Anne Frank” was first printed in its original Dutch Language form, and unfortunately the historic publication date will likely not receive the rightful fanfare it deserves.

Since that original printing, the diary has been published in more than 60 languages, including the first English version in 1952.

Anne’s story is known worldwide. Her diary entries were written during a two-year period from 1942-44, when she and her family hid in the Secret Annex in Amsterdam (known today as the Anne Frank House). After being discovered and apprehended by the Nazis in August of 1944, Anne died of typhus in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in early 1945. Thanks to the efforts of Anne’s father Otto Frank, the family’s only survivor, who sought to have his daughter’s writings published, Anne’s name lives on.

Reading Anne’s diary is the way in which many young people first learn about the horrors of the Nazi genocide, in a very honest and revealing account of a young girl coming of age despite the circumstances.

Once while speaking at a South Florida public elementary school, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the children were aware of the Holocaust through reading Anne’s book.

“The Diary of Anne Frank” should be required reading for people of all ages, not only school-aged children. In a world full of Holocaust denial, indifference and antisemitism, we can all learn a lesson in humanity through the writing of an innocent young girl who never had the opportunity to live a full life and see the impact her words created.

The whole impact at this moment is to make sure that the legacy of Anne’s suffering and the survival of others is not forgotten and a legacy is left for the future generations, so the history of the worst tragedy known to mankind is carried on.

It is because of Anne’s diary that she and her family are among the victims of the Holocaust that we remember and feel we know.

In honor of its 75 year milestone, take some time and reacquaint yourself with one of the most important books that has stood the test of time.

Email your thoughts to Editor Alan Goch at algoch@sunsentinel.com.