HIS 338 The Holocaust and Jewish Cultural Destruction Study + Internship in Prague Program Spring 2018 Semester

The twentieth-century destruction of European Jewry cannot be considered an isolated historical event that occurred during the years of World War II. The Holocaust persists in wielding considerable influence upon European political policy and cultural society, whilst the effects of the genocide continue to shape the identity of the continent?s Jewish population.

This course offers an introduction to the history of the Holocaust, as well as considering the consequences and aftereffects of the genocide upon European Jewish culture up until the present day.

Students will be introduced to the central and core issues concerning historical and methodological approaches to the Holocaust. Analysis shall be given to the chronology, geographical scope, regional differences, plus the actions and responses of perpetrators, victims and bystanders. This will be completed using a variety of sources, including memoirs, diaries, film, photography and the core academic texts used in the field of Holocaust studies.

Post-Holocaust, the course will offer an introductory look at the cultural destruction experienced by European Jewish communities. Special attention will be given to the differences between Western European nations and those of the communist Eastern-bloc countries; Jewish theological responses to the Holocaust; the influence of Israel; and the re-emergence of Jewish culture in Central and Eastern Europe, during post-1989 democratic years.