This past weekend, students discovered other cultures and other religions through a visit to the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C.

The Rev. Jan Griesinger of United Campus Ministries, 18 N. College St., and Rabbi Elena Stein of the Hillel Foundation, 21 Mill St., led the group of Christian and Jewish students. They came together not only to revisit the past, but to learn more about one another through visits to the museum and Jewish and Christian services.

During the trip, they engaged in deep discussions about what they saw and what they experienced. It was during these discussions that the group discovered more about each others' faiths.

"I learned so much about everything," said freshman Sari Fine.

The experiences shared came from many outlets, one of them being the sense of community felt by those on the trip.

One of the stops on the agenda was a Protestant service, where some of the students found common ground among religions.

Being deeply rooted in her own beliefs of Judaism, senior Jodi Jacobson said there was a spirituality found in these churches that was similar to her own beliefs.

With that spirituality came a hospitality that Jacobson will not soon forget. There was a major community with the congregation, as well as a community among the group that went on the trip, she said.

Jacobson said she was happy to show that same hospitality to those who were not Jewish when they went to Hillel services at American University.

"I was happy everyone was so curious," she said.

When it came time to visit the Holocaust Museum, Jacobson described the experience as "heavy," and said all of the people that were not Jewish were curious and in awe of the place, taking their time to take in each of aspect of the museum.

"It was an interfaith trip," said freshman Amy Adelman.