Earlier this summer as I was traveling to and from the different summer camps I was fortunate to have the opportunity to visit the former concentration camp known as Auschwitz. There are many reasons that I have always wanted to visit this place. Historically I feel that the period from 1939 to 1945 is one of the most momentous in all of human history. This time period changed the world in ways which had rarely been seen in previous generations, both for the good and the bad. The events which unfolded during WWII created a stage on which the total range and capacity of human drama was on full display. The highest heights of compassion and courage emerged in countless people around the world as they stood as a shield against some of the deepest depths of evil ever seen in all of human history. Still today there are powerful and moving discussions taking place all around the world regarding the vast implications about the nature of human beings based on the events of this period in history. Many of the discussions focus on who we are at our core asking questions such as: Are we essentially good ,moral beings who sometimes lose our way and produce hurtful, destructive behavior? Or are we basically selfish, immoral beings who have the capacity for occasional compassion. And do we have the power to choose on which of these paths we will walk in our lives or are we bound by something supernatural which is beyond our control?