RELI 383: Holocaust: History and Meaning

Students examine the Holocaust – the term commonly used to denote the destruction of European Jewry during World War II – within the contexts of twentieth-century European, Jewish, and global history. The first part of the course, “History,” analyzes the steps leading to the genocide of the Jews in Europe as well as the factors that enabled its implementation, focusing on the on the interaction of victims, perpetrators, and witnesses/bystanders. The second half of the course, “Meaning,” deals thematically with contemporary interpretations and literary and visual representations of the Holocaust and its meaning, looking at issues of testimony and how the tension between history and memory affects how we can learn about the violence and mass murder. Offered by Religious Studies. Limited to three attempts.