Teachers:  Colleen Bell

Grade Level: 11-12 Elective

Prerequisite: None

Course Description: The Holocaust is NOT an accident of history; it is a horrific, unprecedented human catastrophe. This course attempts to deal with the Holocaust and the Nazi assault on humanity. This course will cover the ideas and events leading up to the Holocaust era (1933-1945), as well as its legacy. Understanding the Holocaust also leads to understanding hate. Studying the rise of the Nazis and their extermination of Jews and social undesirables is an exploration into how ordinary people can be led into committing genocide, the ultimate horror in human behavior. The goal of this class is that you will learn the ramifications of prejudice and racism, and the dangers of remaining silent and indifferent.

Students that take this course have the opportunity to travel to Washington D.C. on a one-day tour of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum through the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas.

In August 2022, a group of students, staff and parents will take a 10-day Central Europe and the Holocaust trip. This is the first trip to be led through the Holocaust & Genocide Education course. The tour will take the group to the countries of Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic.