The American Service Academies Program is a profound 16-day emotional educational program in Poland specifically designed for future military officers from the U.S. Military, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard academies.
The poignancy of the setting educates them about historical atrocities but also ignites significant dialogue on how to apply these lessons for the future as tomorrow’s leaders and decision-makers. Within this framework, students are challenged to understand what can happen in the absence of open and democratic governing institutions—when evil is given free reign and overpowers ethics.
Their journey begins in the US, where the cadets and midshipmen are immersed in the rich Jewish life, the horrors of the Holocaust, and the creation of modern genocide. Through encounters with scholars, survivors, and exhibitions at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., and the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City, participants form a personal connection to history’s lessons.
In Poland, the emotions intensify as these impressionable young adults walk through sites of Jewish heritage and the blood-stained landscapes of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Meetings with Polish Righteous Among the Nations and in-depth lectures on Holocaust history challenge them to reflect deeply on the moral complexities of leadership in the face of inhumanity.
Upon returning to the States, armed with new knowledge, participants reflect on their experiences through essays. They actively share these insights within their local communities, teaching the importance of Holocaust remembrance and ethical leadership.
This life-changing program honors those who suffered and fortifies a new generation against the roots of hatred and intolerance.