On Monday, Theory of Knowledge teacher Joshua Reich’s Theory of Knowledge class participated in Holocaust education by connecting stories to ethics, morals, and decision making. 

Guest speaker, Hagit Fefferman, works with 3G Miami, which aims to spread Holocaust education through the third generation descendants of Holocaust survivors. Fefferman shared a special story in her family: the story of how her grandma Rose survived the Holocaust. 

Fefferman started the class by sharing facts about the Holocaust and how her grandma’s story impacted her own life. She shared several pieces of advice, including “spread kindness, be grateful, spread love, words matter, stand up for yourself and others, help others, and remember.” She wanted students to take away the power of sharing stories. 

“I hope they leave with my theme for an understanding of the suffering of the people of that time through one person’s story because there are so many people affected. And it’s hard to wrap your brain around such an enormous number. So by learning one person’s story, hopefully they can comprehend the pain and suffering of so many.”

Rose’s story involved perseverance, determination, and survival. Fefferman explained that Rose survived more trauma than anyone could imagine. Her grandmother’s stories not only inspired her to be thankful, but also to be open with the stories.

“It was impactful to hear how Rose entrusted the speaker at such a young age to listen and pass down her stories,” Cata Palacio said. 

Throughout the lecture, Reich connected the choices Rose had to make and the ethics behind it. For example, he connected the decision to lie in order to save your own life to the theory of ethical egoism, which holds that one should act in their own best interests regardless of the morals behind a decision.   

“Through the speaker, I was able to learn real hand examples of what we were learning in class. I learned to always share impactful stories and to never forget,” Nico Perez said.