Remember

Let's take a moment to commemorate the victims of September 11th. Many innocent people were taken away because of hate. It's up to us to make sure this doesn't happen again. Not by machine guns or grenades, but the simply act of understanding. As Americans and New Yorkers, we represent every corner of the world. We should take this as an opportunity to learn about other cultures and religions, respect others' differences and create peace. In spite of what has happened, hatred and anger will get us nowhere.

With this in mind, I visited a Holocaust survivor for the first time. Through my Victims of the Holocaust seminar class, Selfhelp (an organization that aids those who have been affected by the Nazis) matched me with him. I was nervous about meeting with him because the Holocaust is such a delicate subject and I didn't want to say the wrong thing, but these fears were quickly alleviated when he started sharing his story the moment I sat down. He told me all the horrors he witnessed, the struggles he faced and the love that kept him holding on. Even though I knew about the tragedies that occurred and saw some photographs in school, I was unprepared for the graphic images he showed me from his archives. Coupled with his personal account, the photos were more than pictures, they told a story. I admired his will to live despite how much pain and loss he suffered. He still believes in God and love and the goodness of people. It's truly amazing to meet him and hear his story. He gave insight into the meaning of life through his tumultuous journey through the world.

To anyone who's looking for an elective, I would highly recommend the Victims of the Holocaust seminar (JSS41003). In addition to being a Jewish Studies and History class, I feel like it is also equal parts a philosophy class because it made me stop and think about morals, ethics and human nature. There is a lot to be learned from history.