In the summer going into eighth grade, my family and I took our annual vacation to Israel. I was to have my Bat Mitzvah at the Western Wall and celebrate with my friends and family whilst exploring my roots and heritage. When touring Jerusalem, my parents decided it was time for me to visit Yad Vashem, one of the most prominent Holocaust Museums in the world. Through listening to the guide lecture about the important facts, hearing the stories of several survivors, and learning about the malicious figures who committed this mass genocide, questions flooded my mind. I asked myself, How could such vindictive, evil politicians rise to power? How could such a man like Hitler possibly get democratically elected? How could one human being dehumanize another to an extent like this? Why and how did survivors survive? Why did they stay silent for years after their liberation?

I could not possibly fathom that something so inhumane and so disgusting could occur to humans by other  humans. I was eager to have all my inquiries answered.