Understanding the Holocaust: History, Impact, and Lessons for Today.

This course invites teens to engage with the profound and complex history of the Holocaust, emphasizing its lasting significance in today's world. The students will have access to nine video lessons with accompanying booklets that include assignments to help them explore the events more deeply and gain a more profound understanding. 

As the final part of our course on the Holocaust, they will write a reflection to express their thoughts, feelings, and insights about what they have learned. This is an opportunity to process the material we've covered and share their personal takeaways. (This is posted in connection to week 1)

Students will learn the roots of antisemitism, the influence of race biology and nationalism, and how these ideologies laid the groundwork for horrific policies.

Through an examination of Nazi propaganda and discriminatory laws, participants will gain insight into the chilling progression of events from the establishment of concentration camps in the 1930s to the atrocities of Kristallnacht. 

The course will delve into the experiences of Jews as they were forced into ghettos and later transported to camps and how people tried to survive by fleeing, hiding, or joining the resistance. 

Key camps such as Auschwitz and Theresienstadt will be studied to understand their roles in the larger narrative of the Holocaust, alongside the harrowing experiences of the Death Marches and the eventual liberation of survivors. 

The aftermath of these events will also be covered, including the challenges faced by those who lived through the Holocaust and the ongoing impact on collective memory. 

By engaging in this historical journey, students will recognize the critical importance of understanding the Holocaust to combat hatred and promote tolerance in their own lives. This course aims to educate and inspire advocacy for justice and human rights in the present day.