Coping With Holocaust Moral Dilemmas Through A Holocaust Learning Program

Abstract

This paper describes the emotional experiences of Israeli high-school students when faced with Holocaust moral dilemmas following their participation in a Holocaust learning program in high school. Thirteen participants boys and girls, aged from 17-18 volunteered to take part in this research. These teenagers are members of the third generation after the Holocaust. The research was conducted when the students were in the middle of Grade 12 after completing their matriculation exams in Holocaust studies. During individual in-depth interviews, interviewees were asked about the learning experiences they underwent concerning their views towards moral dilemmas faced by Jews during and after the Holocaust. The results revealed that the students' moral attitudes seem to have been created through learning in the course, as they were able to develop deeper understanding of human feelings and actions in the reality of the Holocaust. In addition, they managed to understand the complexity of the interaction between emotions and moral thinking as an outcome of their learning. It was concluded that the participant's knowledge and emotional involvement with the issue of Holocaust was strengthened by their exposure to Holocaust moral dilemmas. In addition, learning about specific and realistic human experiences such as those depicted in Holocaust moral dilemmas helped participants to develop a wider moral perspective and understanding of human behavior. It encouraged the development of universal moral thinking and deepened self-understanding and awareness of moral issues in general.