Introduction

Facing History and Ourselves is a course designed to inform people about tragic events that have happened in the past, particularly the Holocaust. One of the key principles of the class is for each student to evaluate themselves as a person, and chose what kind of person they want to become. The class consists of multiple readings and films, heavily based on specific on actual experiences of people who lived during the holocaust. Facing History and Ourselves is and extremely emotional class and takes a heavy toll on students, but in a good way. It is very important to apply yourself completely to the class in order to get the most out of it. There are multiple reasons for why I chose to take Facing History and Ourselves. One of the major reasons that I took the course was because I am Jewish and I grew up taking Jewish religion classes. I learned a lot about the Holocaust and I even got to speak with a survivor. It was one of the most enlightening experiences of my life at the time, and it is something that I will always remember. After growing up with these experiences in religious school, the opportunity to take another class surfaced around the Holocaust was something that I simply couldn’t pass up. I wanted to get the chance to learn more about the subject, and I felt that I was appreciate the material in a different way now that I’m much older. Facing History and Ourselves was one of the few classes that I took in High School that actually left a mark on me and I will always remember it. It was certainly a life changing class and I approach every second of the day with a different attitude now. I think that anyone who chooses not to take the class is missing out on a chance of a lifetime.