This spring, sophomores and juniors at Southern Lehigh will read the book “Night” by Elie Wiesel and attend a field trip to the Holocaust Museum. After a recent curriculum change within the English department, both grades will get the opportunity to read the book, unlike previous years where only eleventh graders read it. On April 11th, about 150 students in grades 10 and 11 will travel to Washington D.C. Acknowledging the importance of this book to high schoolers’ education, English teachers and administrators are excited to pull off this field trip for students.
“Night” is a memoir written in 1960 based on Elie Wiesel’s own Holocaust experiences. He and his father were both imprisoned by the Nazis in different concentration camps, Auschwitz and Buchenwald, during World War II. The memoir unpacks Wiesel’s experience of questioning his faith and identity.
“Every student, every human being, should read ‘Night’ because it is our responsibility as passengers on this earth to be witnesses to atrocities and to stop them from happening in the future,” said English teacher Mrs. Lauren Tocci. “Night is a tough book to read. It asks us to confront the worst aspects of humanity. It asks us to reckon with what deep, abiding strength it takes to survive something as horrific as the Holocaust.”
Years ago, the trip was run by tenth- grade English teacher Mrs. Amy Bausher, and organized similarly to how the current trip will be structured. When she was teaching two smaller sections of Applied English 11, Mrs. Bausher applied for a grant to take her students to the museum. Even though the school didn't receive the grant, the administration funded it and Bausher felt fortunate to take her students on the trip.
In the fall of 2015, Mrs. Bausher also had the honor of bringing a guest speaker, Holocaust survivor Esther Bauer, to Southern Lehigh High School to speak to the student body about her experiences.
“We all have moments, that no matter how much time passes, we will carry the experience with us forever, and spending time with Esther was by far one of the most influential experiences of my life,” said Mrs. Bausher. “Esther passed away in 2016. We were one of the last schools where she shared her story, but her message of compassion and respect has stayed with me and fuels my passion to continue to teach about the Holocaust.”
This year, students on the field trip will spend most of their time inside the museum, but they will also get to explore the Washington Monument and the other surrounding monuments before going inside.
Once inside the Holocaust Museum, all of the students will start on the top floor working their way down in a linear fashion. The experience tells the story of the Holocaust through the eyes of both survivors and those who perished. In doing this, students will encounter stories of heroism and immense courage alongside those of deep tragedy and violence.
“Hopefully [the field trip will be] a reminder for everyone of why being a witness in this time in history means being a witness going forward so that this kind of tragedy never occurs again,” said Mrs. Tocci, “even though we know the Holocaust was not the last genocide in human history.”
Over the course of the field trip, the teachers hope that the students take away life stories that will alter their understanding of the world around them. Teachers hope the field trip will leave a lasting impact on students—helping them gain a deeper understanding of their study on the Holocaust, as well as other genocides throughout history
The field trip is also a way to teach students about the importance of institutions like museums, which are a vital part of American history and culture.
“Going to the Holocaust Museum after reading ‘Night’ by Elie Wiesel makes the book's powerful message even more real,” said junior Aria Izzo. “Seeing artifacts, photographs, and survivor testimonies deepens my understanding of the experience and further highlights the importance of remembering Wiesel's story and the surrounding events.”