On November 17th, high school students from all over the nation met in Washington D.C. with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). On the 15th annual Grosfeld Family National Youth Leadership Mission, 106 delegates congregated in the capital to learn about the Holocaust and wield the necessary tools to stop hatred. Founded in 1913, the ADL serves to fight Anti-Semitism and to secure the rights of all, no matter the race, gender, sexuality, or citizenship status.

On the four-day trip to Washington D.C., roughly ten students from different regions in the United States convened to learn about the Holocaust. The ADL teaches students that discrimination, making insensitive remarks, or accepting stereotypes could escalate to something like the Holocaust. On this National Youth Leadership Mission, students heard testimonies and speeches from various figures including a Holocaust survivor. After a trip to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, students shared thoughts and explored methods to stop discrimination and hatred back at home.

When asked about the trip, Los Angeles delegate Jacqueline Schaffer replied, “It made me realize that we are insensitive to words that could hurt and we don’t realize that we live around prejudice and hatred.” Prejudice and racism can come in the slightest of forms but escalate quickly and that is exactly how horrendous incidents like the Holocaust can occur. “That’s why we have to learn and educate people about the Holocaust. Because, that is a prime example of what happens when bigotry and prejudice escalate. People shouldn’t have to die because of who they are or what they believe in,” stated Schaffer.

The Holocaust affected the Jewish, Roma-Sinti, gay, disabled, Communists, and many more marginalized populations. For those who are quick to overlook the Holocaust or believe that such atrocities could not reoccur, this sort of continued education is necessary. Just 50 years after the Holocaust, genocide occurred, this time in Rwanda. History repeats itself. It is for that reason that the ADL passionately educates communities about the dangers of intolerance and bigotry.