The problem with this perspective is it is only true from a limited perspective.
The bigger picture (and my personal perspective) is this: God is all-knowing. He knew even before he created the universe, mankind, and so forth, that we would fall, that Jesus would die to save us, and so on. God knew this all along and still went ahead with the creation of man.
Why? That's an impossible question to answer, beyond the simple fact that there can be no love without free will. Even God can't find a way around this. We have to love him through discovering him for ourselves (not through church insitutions). Therefore, if there is no choice, there is no love. Therefore, God decided that, for him to be loved, he had to sacrifice himself for a fallen race made specifically to give and receive love to one another and him. Some of this race might chose to love him in return. Some will not. But it is their choice.
I view the crucifixion through a curiously ambivalent lens: If I watch The Passion of the Christ (for instance) despite the graphic violence, I don't see the cross as a tragedy but as a triumph. I don't become guilt-ridden that I put Jesus there, but instead defer to God's higher plan and wisdom, even if I don't fully understand it (part of faith, I suppose). Why? Because my personal experience of God is overwhelmingly good (whereas my personal experience of many other Christians, and the church, I'm sorry to say, has been decidedly less stellar).
What was taught in this Crucifixion Week thing sounds utterly wrong-headed. I'm not saying it's always wrong to meditate on Christ's sufferings, but such meditations are personal. God sometimes deliberately guides people away from such meditations, because of personality, temperament, and other factors (God made us all different, after all). The church on the other hand tries to fit us all into one-size-fits-all religious boxes. That doesn't work. I'm not surprised this was traumatic for you.
Anyway, sorry for the long comment. I hope it wasn't too tedious to read. :)