The Holocaust
Submitted by Cherie Muehlberger (profile)

Titles and Authors: Night by Elie Wiesel and Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl; Films: Life is Beautiful and One Survivor Remembers
Genres: Holocaust Literature and Film
Theme: Inhumane behavior, the will to find meaning, love
Class type: Men's group, mature readers

The class session centers on coming to terms with Nazi Germany and the Holocaust. We use these novels and films toward the end of our semester. They are the springboard to discussing some of the following:

Questions:

How did these events occur?
Why did so many condone the practices of Nazi Germany?
What would you have done?
Could you have survived this experience?
Why/how do some survive (Frankl's thesis) and others don't?
Could this happen today?
Why is this subject important to know about and discuss?
Are human beings inherently evil?
What limits would you go to in order to survive?
How can we, as a society, guard against this situation happening again?
Is the extermination of a people happening anyplace in the world today?
Why are we here on Earth?