As one of nine participants from the Kansas City area selected for an educational trip to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, sophomore Brayden Cardozo was able to get a personal educational experience that he said gave him a deeper understanding of his heritage.

Each year, the Together We Remember program chooses applicants from the sophomore class to represent the program on a trip to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

As a prerequisite, Cardozo wrote an essay expressing why learning about the holocaust was important to him. Cardozo was then chosen to participate in a trip to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in D.C.   

The museum, which employs former holocaust survivors to tell their stories, was an eye-opening experience for Cardozo.  

“We had a docent walk us through the museum,” Cardozo said. “She was a holocaust survivor and we heard her story. I admire her bravery for having to go through the hardships she faced as a child again, as she leads us on a tour.”

Cardozo believes everyone can learn something new upon visiting the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

“I would strongly encourage people to go and visit the museum,” Cardozo said, “ I know I will [visit again] because there is so much to see, you could learn something new every time you go.”   

The Director of Education at the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education, Jessica Rockhold, agreed that there was much to learn at the museum.

“It teaches us about man’s capacity to be inhumane,” Rockhold said. “This is relevant throughout all of history, and it is relevant today.”

Rockhold administers the program as well as provides all education associated with it. Along with Cardozo, she said she believes the program picked very thoughtful participants for this year’s trip.

Cardozo said he has a personal connection to the Together We Remember program, which influenced him to participate.

“I am a third generation Holocaust survivor, which means my grandfather survived the Holocaust,” Cardozo said. “I know his story, but I feel it is important to learn as many stories as I can.”  

Ronda Hassig, a former teacher of Cardozo at Harmony Middle School, said she was elated that Cardozo was eager to learn about the Holocaust.

Hassig, who is also a volunteer at the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education, wants all children to learn about the Holocaust at some point in their life.  

“At some point, the people that lived through it are going to be gone, and all we’ll have are their children and their testimonies. It’s very easy to blow it off,” Hassig said. According to Hassig, once people forget about the past, history could repeat itself.

The trip to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum left a lasting impact on Cardozo.

“I really enjoyed my time in D.C.,” Cardozo said. “I have gained a deeper understanding of not only my heritage, but the heritage of others.”