Course Syllabus

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HIST/JUD 3494, Fall 2015
The Holocaust: History and Memory

Tuesday/Thursday 3:30–4:45
Ambler Johnston Hall Links to an external site. Great Room (atrium, second floor)

Prof. Rachel Gross
rbgross@vt.edu
Office: 211 Major Williams Hall Links to an external site.
Office hours by appointment

Download View the syllabus here.

View the list of course books here.

Click Pages on the bar on the left to access reading assignments.

This class counts toward the History major, the Religion and Culture major, and the Judaic Studies minor.

Course Summary:

Date Details Due
Mon Aug 31, 2015 Discussion Topic Class 3. Interwar period
(Group 1)
 due by 10pm
Tue Sep 1, 2015 Discussion Topic Class 3. Interwar period
(Group 2)
 due by 12pm
Wed Sep 2, 2015 Discussion Topic Class 4. Policies and propaganda
(Group 2)
 due by 10pm
Thu Sep 3, 2015 Discussion Topic Class 4. Policies and propaganda
(Group 3)
 due by 2pm
Mon Sep 7, 2015 Discussion Topic Class 5. Mein Kampf
(Group 3)
 due by 10pm
Tue Sep 8, 2015 Discussion Topic Class 5. Mein Kampf
(Group 1)
 due by 2pm
Assignment Argument of Mein Kampf due by 11:59pm
Wed Sep 9, 2015 Calendar Event Film screening: Triumph of the Will 7pm to 9pm
Discussion Topic Class 6. Triumph of the Will
(Group 1)
 due by 10pm
Thu Sep 10, 2015 Discussion Topic Class 6. Triumph of the Will
(Group 2)
 due by 2pm
Fri Sep 11, 2015 Calendar Event Extra credit: Beards in History 1: Charlemagne 4pm
Tue Sep 15, 2015 Calendar Event No class - Rosh Hashanah 12am
Wed Sep 16, 2015 Discussion Topic Class 7. Life in the Third Reich
(Group 2)
 due by 10pm
Thu Sep 17, 2015 Discussion Topic Class 7. Life in the Third Reich
(Group 3)
 due by 2pm
Mon Sep 21, 2015 Discussion Topic Class 8. The final solution
(Group 3)
 due by 10pm
Tue Sep 22, 2015 Discussion Topic Class 8. The final solution
(Group 1)
 due by 2pm
Calendar Event Extra credit: Does Religion Explain Anything? 7pm
Wed Sep 23, 2015 Discussion Topic Class 9. Resistance and passivity
(Group 1)
 due by 10pm
Thu Sep 24, 2015 Discussion Topic Class 9. Resistance and passivity
(Group 2)
 due by 2pm
Fri Sep 25, 2015 Calendar Event Extra credit: Beards in History 2: Theodor Herzl 4pm
Mon Sep 28, 2015 Discussion Topic Class 10. Jewish Councils and policemen
(Group 2)
 due by 10pm
Tue Sep 29, 2015 Discussion Topic Class 10. Jewish Councils and policemen
(Group 3)
 due by 2pm
Wed Sep 30, 2015 Discussion Topic Class 11. The Warsaw Ghetto
(Group 3)
 due by 10pm
Thu Oct 1, 2015 Discussion Topic Class 11. The Warsaw Ghetto
(Group 1)
 due by 2pm
Mon Oct 5, 2015 Discussion Topic Class 12. Bystanders and witnesses
(Group 1)
 due by 10pm
Tue Oct 6, 2015 Discussion Topic Class 12. Bystanders and witnesses
(Group 2)
 due by 2pm
Wed Oct 7, 2015 Discussion Topic Class 13. Neighbors and perpetrators
(Group 2)
 due by 10pm
Thu Oct 8, 2015 Discussion Topic Class 13. Neighbors and perpetrators
(Group 3)
 due by 2pm
Mon Oct 12, 2015 Discussion Topic Class 14. Night
(Group 3)
 due by 10pm
Tue Oct 13, 2015 Discussion Topic Class 14. Night
(Group 1)
 due by 2pm
Thu Oct 15, 2015 Calendar Event Guest speaker: Nathan Kranowkski 3:30pm to 4:45pm
Assignment Primary source analysis due by 11:59pm
Mon Oct 19, 2015 Calendar Event Extra credit: Etgar Keret - The Seven Good Years 7pm
Discussion Topic Class 16. Images and names
(Group 1)
 due by 10pm
Tue Oct 20, 2015 Discussion Topic Class 16. Images and names
(Group 2)
 due by 2pm
Calendar Event Extra credit: What We Talk about When We Talk about Pools: Controversies in America and Israel 7pm
Assignment Discussion audit due by 11:59pm
Assignment Shandler argument due by 11:59pm
Wed Oct 21, 2015 Discussion Topic Class 17. Eichmann on trial
(Group 2)
 due by 10pm
Thu Oct 22, 2015 Discussion Topic Class 17. Eichmann on trial
(Group 3)
 due by 2pm
Fri Oct 23, 2015 Calendar Event Extra credit: Beards in History 3: John Brown & Abraham Lincoln 4pm to 5pm
Mon Oct 26, 2015 Discussion Topic Class 18. Preserving spaces
(Group 3)
 due by 10pm
Tue Oct 27, 2015 Calendar Event Guest speaker: Yael Friedman 3:30am to 4:45am
Discussion Topic Class 18. Preserving spaces
(Group 1)
 due by 2pm
Wed Oct 28, 2015 Discussion Topic Class 19. Yom HaShoah/Holocaust Remembrance Day
(Group 1)
 due by 11:59pm
Thu Oct 29, 2015 Discussion Topic Class 19. Yom HaShoah/Holocaust Remembrance Day
(Group 2)
 due by 2pm
Mon Nov 2, 2015 Discussion Topic Class 20. Television
(Group 2)
 due by 10pm
Tue Nov 3, 2015 Discussion Topic Class 20. Television
(Group 3)
 due by 2pm
Wed Nov 4, 2015 Discussion Topic Class 21. American museums
(Group 3)
 due by 10pm
Thu Nov 5, 2015 Discussion Topic Class 21. American museums
(Group 1)
 due by 2pm
Fri Nov 6, 2015 Calendar Event Field trip: Virginia Holocaust Museum 7:30am
Mon Nov 9, 2015 Discussion Topic Class 22. Diary of a Young Girl
(Group 1)
 due by 11:59pm
Tue Nov 10, 2015 Discussion Topic Class 22. Diary of a Young Girl
(Group 2)
 due by 2pm
Wed Nov 11, 2015 Discussion Topic Class 23. Young adult literature
(Group 2)
 due by 11:59pm
Thu Nov 12, 2015 Discussion Topic Class 23. Young adult literature
(Group 3)
 due by 2pm
Assignment Eichler-Levine argument due by 4:45pm
Assignment Research paper topic proposal due by 11:59pm
Fri Nov 13, 2015 Calendar Event Extra credit: Beards in History 4: The Lumbersexual 4pm
Assignment Field trip make-up assignment due by 11:59pm
Tue Nov 17, 2015 Calendar Event No class 12am
Thu Nov 19, 2015 Calendar Event No class 12am
Mon Nov 30, 2015 Discussion Topic Class 24. Graphic novels
(Group 3)
 due by 11:59pm
Tue Dec 1, 2015 Discussion Topic Class 24. Graphic novels
(Group 1)
 due by 2pm
Assignment Maus questions due by 11:59pm
Wed Dec 2, 2015 Assignment Paper draft due by 11:59pm
Thu Dec 3, 2015 Assignment Peer review of paper drafts due by 11:59pm
Mon Dec 7, 2015 Discussion Topic Class 26. Alternative responses
(Group 2)
 due by 11:59pm
Tue Dec 8, 2015 Discussion Topic Class 26. Alternative responses
(Group 3)
 due by 2pm
Discussion Topic Class 26. Alternative responses
(Group 1)
 due by 2pm
Thu Dec 10, 2015 Assignment SPOT survey due by 11:59pm
Wed Dec 16, 2015 Assignment Final research paper due by 11:59pm
Assignment Extra Credit 1  
Assignment Extra Credit 2  
Assignment Participation  
Assignment Roll Call Attendance