Many students assume that history has nothing to do with them and therefore is a waste of their time, so finding a way to get involuntary history students truly involved in a topic is always the most challenging aspect of teaching it. As passive listeners they will remember little; as active participants they will remember more and--in at least a few cases--decide that they would like to pursue the topic further. However, they live in a world to which the events of the "Shoah" are horrifyingly relevant. The "Shoah" is one of the most terrifying illustrations of what can happen when religious or political ideology trumps moral values and human decency, validating remorseless violence against an alien, demonized "other." In this article, the author shares four strategies in helping students reach a deeper understanding, not just of the twentieth century, but also of the world in which they live today. (Contains 5 endnotes.)