Facing History & Ourselves: the Holocaust

Students enrolled in the course Facing History & Ourselves recently met with Dr. Rita Goldberg, an author and Harvard lecturer who is the daughter of a Holocaust survivor and resistor.

Photo Album: Dr. Goldberg's Visit

Click here to view and download photos on Raider SmugMug.

Through this course and the Facing History & Ourselves initiative, Central Catholic students explore the history, causes, and aftermath of the Holocaust.

Thank you to Dr. Goldberg for sharing her stories and insights, and thank you to Religious Studies teacher Ms. Anne Martino, who coordinated the visit.

This is Dr. Goldberg's fifth year speaking to students enrolled in the class and the third time she was able to visit in person.

Click here to read Ms. Martino's summary of a prior Dr. Goldberg visit, "Ordinary People Can Do Extraordinary Things."

Excerpt: Dr. Goldberg’s visit provided a vivid and honest account of the experience of Jewish people in Europe during this painful time in history. The students were able to ask questions and reflect on the implications of the Holocaust on the families of the survivors. Students learned that most of the resistors and rescuers did not consider themselves heroes but rather felt that they were doing what was necessary because it was right. Rita Goldberg reminded the students that "ordinary people can do great things."

 

About Dr. Rita Goldberg

Dr. Rita Goldberg is a Comparative Literature lecture at Harvard University and the author of several books.

She is the daughter of a Holocaust survivor and resistor.

Dr. Goldberg shared her mother's story with students, discussing the stories in her book Motherland: Growing Up with the Holocaust.

This is her fifth year speaking to students enrolled in the class and the second time she was able to visit in person.

 

 

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About Facing History & Ourselves: The Holocaust & Human Behavior

Students explore the history, causes and aftermath of the Holocaust in this one-semester senior elective course. Themes are explored through a series of reading, videos, activities, and reflections. Students reflect on racism and social justice, as well as the importance of global awareness and their own potential for making a difference. Based on the curriculum developed and sponsored by Facing History and Ourselves in Brookline, MA, connections are made to Catholic social teaching, St. Paul’s image that we are all one body in Christ, and our Marist call to reach out to the least favored.