On Sunday, March 23, the Cotler Institute hosted dozens of international students for a special exclusive screening of the award-winning 2024 film, The Brutalist. The film tells the story of a fictional Hungarian-Jewish architect navigating post-Holocaust Jewish life as an immigrant in the United States, touching on issues of hardship, prejudice, and assimilation in mid-20th century America.

Before the film screening, the Cotler Fellows embarked on a field trip to Yad Vashem and the Dead Sea. At Yad Vashem, the Fellows received a detailed tour of Israel’s national Holocaust memorial musuem, gaining deeper insights into the history of antisemitism, the rise of the Nazi party, the resistance of the Jewish people, and an overall appreciation for remembrance and more broadly the dangers of unchecked hatred and discrimination.

Following this powerful experience, the fellows traveled to the Dead Sea. Straddling the Israeli-Jordanian border at the lowest point on Earth’s surface, the Dead Sea is considered one of the world’s most magnificent natural wonders. Here, the Cotler fellows had the chance to relax and unwind, floating in the sea, coating themselves in nutrient-rich mud, and enjoying the mountainous desert landscapes.