We do not tell this story exclusively with numbers.

In the same way that it's important to avoid generalizations, it's also key to avoid overusing statistics. If we focus strictly on numbers, we miss what is truly important: human beings. It is far easier to empathize with an individual human being's story that we can relate to, rather than with estimated numbers in the millions.

The students need to see the individuals behind the Holocaust. Who were the people that were persecuted? Who were the persecutors? What were their names, their stories, and their motivations? By using documents from valid sources and the use of survivors' testimonies and letters in the classroom, students will be able to find the answers to these questions.

However, it is important that we avoid dehumanizing the perpetrators.

While we should never diminish the magnitude of the facts, it's advisable to avoid demonization. Not all Germans were Nazis and not all Nazis were psychopaths. It is our duty to teach the history of the Holocaust in all of its complexity by providing the background on factors (political and economic context, racism, historical Anti-Semitism, etc.) that led to its occurrence.