For the past ten years, John Carroll has hosted the Lessons of the Shoah (LOTS).

The official program describes this event as an “inter-faith/inter-school program with the goal of using the Holocaust as a starting point to promote tolerance, understanding, and respect among students of diverse backgrounds, and to motivate participants to make a personal commitment to combat prejudice and hatred.”

The theme for this year’s Lessons of the Shoah is “The Aftermath of Genocide from the Holocaust to the Present.”

The program will be a full day, and will have activities like listening to guest speakers and meeting with small groups to have discussions. There are 250 students and teachers registered to attend, and LOTS is scheduled for November 17.

AP US History juniors and Honors Human Rights seniors from JC will take part, and this year, other schools will be in attendance. Some of these schools are private like Catholic High, Calvert Hall, and Bryn Mawr, but JC will also welcome various Harford County public schools.

This initiative is organized by Program Director Louise Geczy. “Given increased levels of global divisiveness,” she said, “first-hand testimony is more important than ever for us to engage students in a program such as LOTS.”

Mrs. Geczy added, “I am fortunate to work at an institution that has long understood the impact that Holocaust and Genocide Awareness Studies has on young adults and to provide opportunities for them to examine human rights issues.”

She concluded, “Exploration of genocide and its consequences provides us with insight and empathy, greater understanding; teaches us to question, not just accept hatred as inevitable; causes us to sometimes be uncomfortable — all of which, hopefully, makes us more informed and willing to act rather than just accept hatred and its consequences as the norm.”

There will be follow-up activities for all students who attend. Both JC classes will have in-class reflections.