The Holocaust: An Interdisciplinary Introduction

The Holocaust of European Jewry or the Shoah is a dark chapter in the history of mankind with long-term and far-reaching repercussions that continue to impact the world we live in and be impacted by it. The intent of Adolf Hitler and his henchmen to erase from the face of the earth, first and foremost the Jewish people, and also, other groups deemed socially and racially “undesirable” marks one of the low points of moral degradation and barbarism in the history of humankind; an event the horrific magnitude and barbarism of which continue to haunt and affect our lives in the post-Holocaust era.

The exploration offered in this course, covering a whole range of disciplines – literature, film and visual arts, theology, and psychology  – will help students grasp the magnitude of the Holocaust, recognize the evolution of its memory, the challenges in its representation (also, the need to defend this memory from both distorters and deniers) and better understand our own reality as a post-Holocaust one. 

Session 1: The Literary Representation of the Holocaust

Can learning about the Holocaust be enhanced by works of fiction? Could Holocaust scholars and educators play into the hands of Holocaust deniers, by referencing and using works of fiction, dealing with the Holocaust? Can we draw the line between the fictional and the fictive? Join us for the first session of our interdisciplinary exploration of the Holocaust, as we consider the limitations of the Holocaust’s representation in literature. 

Session 2: The Historiography of the Holocaust

While the foundational facts about the Holocausts are a matter of global consensus for scholars in the growing field of Holocaust studies, some heated and often polarizing debates have torn the academic community. These often concern not the facts, the question what happened, but rather questions of interpretation (why did it happen, what even led to another?). We will discuss some of these key historiographical debates dealing with the roots of the Final Solution and its implementation, the motivations behind it, the identity of perpetrators and bystanders, and more.  

Session 3: Theological Responses to the Holocaust

What impact did the Holocaust have on Jews, Judaism and Jewish life? We will look together on the impact of fate on faith and consider the extent to which Judaism from the second half of the twentieth century onward is a post-Holocaust one. 

Session 4: Between Art and Record Keeping – Artistic Representations of the Holocaust 

What does it mean to create Holocaust art or be a Holocaust artist? Is it possible to portray via the medium or art the kinds of evils and manifestations of cruelty witnessed during the Holocaust? What was the purpose of Holocaust art both before the war and after? We will engage in an effort to provide answers to these questions, while surveying some of the most important works of art created during the Shoah and in its aftermath.   

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