Conversation Circle: A Program of the Manovill Institute

The Conversation Circle offers high school students an opportunity to form deep connections with a Holocaust survivor. Join our new six-week study of the Holocaust through survivor testimony, film and text. Students will explore complicated questions about resistance, agency, and forgiveness that will inform and enrich the essential conversation with a Holocaust survivor.

The class will meet on Tuesdays, 5:00 – 6:30pm
Some sessions will be in-person at the JFCS Holocaust Center and others online.

Applications are due September 23rd, 2024.

Course Syllabus

October 15
The Path to Nazi Genocide: An Introduction
Location: JFCS Holocaust Center. Dinner provided.

October 22         
Moral Dilemmas in Wartime France. Text: A Bag of Marbles, a graphic novel.
Location: Zoom

October 29        
Exploring Life on the Eve of WWII, in Conversation with Anita, Survivor of the Holocaust.  
Film: Pigeon: Being an Upstander During the Holocaust.
Location: JFCS Holocaust Center. Dinner provided.

November 12    
The Power of Testimony, Part I: In Conversation with Anita, Survivor of the Holocaust.
Location: Zoom

November 19    
The Power of Testimony, Part II: In Conversation with Anita, Survivor of the Holocaust.
Location: Zoom

December 3       
Conclusion and Enduring Questions. Text: The Sunflower—The Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness. 
Location: JFCS Holocaust Center, Dinner provided.

Fees

The fee to participate in this program is $250. 

Financial aid is available for those eligible as the JFCS Holocaust Center is committed to making sure all students have the opportunity to participate regardless of financial circumstance.

Books will be provided in advance of the first class:

A Bag of Marbles, a graphic novel by Joseph Joffo.

The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness by Simon Wiesenthal.

Conversation Circle is made possible through program fees and generous donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations.

Join us in building a future free from antisemitism and hate.

Be part of the movement that’s redefining education in California.