Holocaust Studies: Lessons In History & Humanity
One of the new electives at PCA this year is the Holocaust Studies course taught by faculty member, Kristi Ugland. She's been studying the content for over fifteen years and when given the opportunity to share her knowledge with the students of PCA, Ugland jumped at the chance.
“I discovered about fifteen years ago,” Ugland said, “that I have a passion for the History of the Holocaust and its Victims and Survivors. I began teaching the subject and educating myself, and the more I read, the more I became amazed about the people who miraculously survived such atrocities.”
Not only has Ugland studied the time period but she has also had the opportunity to meet survivors and their families. “I continue to be awed by their incredible courage, faith, and stories,” she said. “I think it's very important for students to be educated about this history. Through studying the Holocaust and its tragedies, students see the absolute worst of humanity. They see educated people make the choice to pursue evil, and they see a culture destroy itself. Students also get a vivid picture of humanity at its absolute best: strangers sacrificing to feed children, people hiding others in their homes--knowing they will suffer the worst consequences if found out, and the Liberators and their fight to free the world from tyranny. The Holocaust is a lesson for everyone--to know that we must consciously choose to serve God and His people each day, and to purposely pursue goodness in our daily lives.”
Last week Ugland took her students to The Charleston Holocaust Memorial located in Marion Square, downtown. The goal was for the class to learn about the memorial, as well as help clean it up. “I thought the first trip as a class should be about our local community of Survivors,” Ugland said. “There are three living Survivors in the Lowcountry. This is amazing, considering most Survivors are now nearing 100 years of age. We also wanted to show respect to the Jewish Community of Charleston by performing a "Mitzvah" or good deed for them by cleaning the Memorial and its surrounding area.”
On December 9, the class will travel to Sumter to visit the Sumter County Museum's Nuremberg Trials Special Exhibit. They will meet with the Rabbi of the Temple Sinai who is hosting the exhibit and learn about the Jewish High Holy Days, Hanukkah, and other Jewish traditions.
In January of next year, the class plans to visit the new Anne Frank Center at the University of South Carolina in Columbia where they will tour the new center featuring Anne Frank's life and her legacy.