REL3194: The Holocaust

(cross listed with EUH4033: Nazism and the Holocaust)

Instructor Information Table

Dr. Oren B. Stier	Instructor Information Email: stiero@fiu.edu or use Canvas Inbox Phone: 305-348-6729 (not recommended) Office: DM 305A Office Hours: T 3:30-4:30 (always confirm) and by appointment (Zoom appointments also available) Website: Professor Website (Links to an external site.) Access Course Calendar Here
Certified Hybrid Course Class meetings on Tuesdays, 2:00pm-3:15pm in GC 278A  This course was created with the support of a Mellon Infusion Grant offered by The Wolfsonian–FIU FIU Holocaust & Genocide Studies Program Website: holocaust.fiu.edu FIU's Annual Holocaust & Genocide Awareness Week is January 23-28

Course Description and Purpose

The Holocaust, the systematic destruction of Jews and Jewish life by the Nazi regime prior to and during World War II, was a watershed event in human history that irrevocably impacted our thinking about humanity, including but not limited to how we reflect on religion, war, society, ethics, morality, culture, and more. The Holocaust was an assault on Jews, Judaism, and Jewish identity, but it was more than that as well; learning about the Holocaust, its causes and its legacies, teaches us much about the world in which we live today. In light of recent increases in antisemitism, hate speech, and racially motivated violence, understanding the past and its impact on the present has become even more essential.

This hybrid, “flipped-classroom” course aims to answer many questions people have about the Holocaust—not only what it was, but what led to it and how the world dealt with its aftermath. A specific focus of the course is on relations between Jews and Christians before, during, and after the Nazi era, across time and space in regions such as the Middle East, Europe, and the US. This is not a class on the history of the Holocaust itself, though a basic familiarity with the facts of the Nazi assault on Jewry will be necessary. Students without such a background may wish to read any one of a number of works on Holocaust history on their own to supplement their knowledge (extra credit may be available).

This class is also infused with material from The Wolfsonian-FIU collection, which provides critical visual and material cultural background to and context for the rise of Nazism: a clear understanding of the power of images and visual branding is critical for comprehending Nazi ideology.

The subject of the course is engaging, disturbing, and taxing: sensitivity and thoughtfulness are essential throughout! Since this is a hybrid format course, much of the coursework is done outside of the classroom at the student’s own pace on a week-to-week basis (the week runs Monday-Sunday): we meet in person once a week on Tuesdays for class discussions and active learning exercises that put each week’s materials in context and provide forums for questions, comments, review and engagement.

This is a Discipline-specific Global Learning course that counts toward your FIU Global Learning graduation requirement.

Course Objectives

Course Goals:

• Students will feel they have an impact on increasing tolerance in the world.
• Students will learn about the Holocaust and also learn that the factors that led to it continue to this day.
• Students will become more empathetic.
• Students will learn to think visually as well as verbally.

Course Learning Objectives:

• Understand the Holocaust in greater historical, religious, and cultural context
• Recognize prejudice, intolerance, and hate and formulate a concrete action plan in response.
• Describe long-standing causes and lingering effects of the Holocaust and antisemitism and relate them to today’s world.
• Examine their own biases, learn to overcome them, take time to become more self-aware, and demonstrate that self-awareness.
• Decipher textual, verbal, and visual examples of Holocaust propaganda, correlate them to contemporary examples, and be ready to combat them.

Global Learning Outcomes:

• Identify the complex interconnections among historical, religious, social, political, and cultural factors that led to the Holocaust (Global Awareness).
• Analyze from several perspectives the experiences of people involved in the Holocaust (Global Perspective).
• Reflect on and respond to the legacies of the Holocaust and its global impact in the present and their own lives (Global Engagement).
  
  
  

Policies

Before starting this course, please review the following pages:

• Policies
• Netiquette
• Technical Requirements and Skills
• Accessibility and Accommodation
• Panthers Care & Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
• Academic Misconduct Statement
  
  

COVID Policies

PLEASE REVIEW CAREFULLY THE FOLLOWING IMPORTANT POLICIES:

As cases and hospitalizations due to the Omicron variant continue to increase in our community, we must unite and take necessary steps to prevent further spread.

1. Daily and before arriving to campus, complete the P3 app. If you are not given the green check mark to enter campus, then stay home, and contact me by email by forwarding your P3 app email notification advising you to stay home. Do this every time you are not given the green check mark to return to campus.
   
2. Please check your FIU email account and your Canvas course at least once a day.  Email and Canvas are the official ways for the university, and your professors, to contact you.
3. If you do not feel well and/or have tested positive for COVID-19, please do not come to class, immediately complete the P3 app to notify the COVID Response Team and contact me by email by forwarding your P3 app email notification as soon as you can. In order to receive an excused absence for P3 failure/COVID-19, you must complete the P3 app and forward the email notification.  If directed to stay home by the P3 app, that email notification will serve as your excused absence when you forward it to me. The make-up policies are outlined below, under "Class Participation and Attendance."
4. FIU is following current CDC Guidance. Please refer to the link where you can access their most current information.
5. Please take every precaution to keep yourself and others healthy. Per CDC guidelines, you are encouraged to get vaccinated and strongly advised to wear a mask indoors and in public including all FIU facilities. 
6. Missing excessive days may lead to failing a class or a grade of incomplete.  Please be proactive in reaching out to me if you feel you are falling behind due to missing class meetings.
   
7. For me to assist you in achieving your goals, it is important for you to contact me as soon as you experience any events that might disrupt your course participation. For up-to-date information about COVID-19, please see the repopulation.fiu.edu FAQs.
8. IMPORTANT: Please be advised that classes may be audio and visually recorded and/or subject to course capture for future access by students in this course. Your attendance/participation in this course constitutes consent to such recordings, which will only be used for educational purposes by students in the course and securely stored in University systems. If there is a concern regarding the recording and use of such recording, please contact FERPA@fiu.edu.

Course Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for this course.

Textbook and Course Materials

Textbook Table

	Approaches to Auschwitz: The Holocaust and Its Legacy Richard L. Rubenstein and John K. Roth Louisville: John Knox Press, 2003, revised ed. (Make sure you purchase this edition only!) ISBN-13: 9780664223533 You may purchase your textbook online at the FIU Bookstore. This book is also available electronically from the FIU Libraries for unlimited online reading and restricted downloads (must first log-in via EZproxy).
	Sources of the Holocaust Steve Hochstadt, ed. NY: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004 ISBN-13: 9780333963456 You may purchase your textbook online at the FIU Bookstore. This book is also available at the Green Library reserve desk. This book is also available electronically from the FIU Libraries for unlimited online reading and restricted downloads (must first log-in via EZproxy).
	Survival in Auschwitz: The Nazi Assault on Humanity Primo Levi, trans. Stuart Woolf  NY: Touchstone Books, 1996 ISBN-13: 9780684826806 You may purchase your textbook online at the FIU Bookstore. This book is also available at the Green Library reserve desk.
	Night Eli Wiesel NY: Hill and Wang; 2006, revised ed. (This is the required edition) ISBN-13: 9780374500016 You may purchase your textbook online at the FIU Bookstore.

Additional Required Readings:

• Franklin H. Littell, The Crucifixion of the Jews: The Failure of Christians to Understand the Jewish Experience (NY: Harper and Row, 1975; reprint Macon, GA: Mercer University Press, 1996), excerpts. PDF posted on Canvas.
• New Testament Gospel excerpts. PDF posted on Canvas.
• Steven Katz, typology of religious responses to the Holocaust. PDF posted on Canvas.
• Selection of online readings/links. DOC posted on Canvas.

Expectations of this Course

This is a hybrid course: much the course work will be conducted online through asynchronous weekly assignments augmented by weekly in person class meetings. Expectations for performance in a hybrid course are the same for a traditional course. In fact, hybrid courses require a degree of self-motivation, self-discipline, and technology skills which can make these courses more demanding for some students.

Students are expected to:

• review the getting started page located in the course modules;
• take the practice quiz to ensure that your computer is compatible with the learning management system, Canvas;
• attend class each week;
• interact online and in person with instructor and peers;
• review and follow the course calendar and weekly outlines;

Organization

The course is divided into five modules. 

• Module 0: Welcome, Orientation, and Introduction: We discuss the general background of the Holocaust as well as key questions and theories central to the course (week 1).
• Module 1: Before the Nazi Era: We discuss the historical and religious issues and events that led up to the Holocaust (weeks 2-4).
• Module 2: Nazism and the “Final Solution:” We discuss life under the Nazi regime and in the ghettos and camps (weeks 5-8).
• Module 3: The End of WWII: Ethics and Experience: We discuss Jewish and Christian responses to the Holocaust and issues relating to ethics, resistance, and survival (weeks 9-11).
• Module 4: After the Nazi Era: Reflecting on the Holocaust: We discuss liberation, survivor “guilt” and silence, life in the aftermath, Christian and Jewish theological responses, the moral legacy of the Holocaust, and contemporary remembrance issues and activities (weeks 12-14).

Course Communication

Communication in this course will take place via the Canvas Inbox. Check out the Canvas Conversations Tutorial or Canvas Guide to learn how to communicate with your instructor and peers using Announcements, Discussions, and the Inbox. 

Assessments

In order to mitigate any issues with your computer and online assessments, it is very important that you take the Practice Quiz from each computer you will be using to take your graded quizzes and exams. Assessments in this course are not compatible with mobile devices and should not be taken through a mobile phone or a tablet. For more information, please review the important information about quizzes page. 

Quizzes

Seven quizzes are required via Canvas: the material covered in each quiz is indicated in the course calendar; each quiz is meant to be taken at the end of the week in which it appears to allow sufficient time to learn the material and for multiple attempts. (Quiz #1 will be open an extra week to accommodate late registrations.) There will be no extensions on the quizzes. It is recommended you attempt the quiz for the first time soon after completing the week’s readings and videos; if you are not satisfied with your grade, review the material and take it again over the weekend. You may attempt each quiz up to three times, but the questions will vary with each attempt. The lowest quiz grade will be discarded, and the six remaining quizzes will apply to the final course grade; each remaining quiz is worth 3 points out of your final grade; totaling 18 points of your final course grade.

NOTE: Respondus Lockdown Browser is required for the quizzes.

Visual Culture Discussions

Keep in mind that your discussion forum postings will likely be seen by other members of the course. Care should be taken when determining what to post.

The course includes three required special recorded lectures addressing Visual Culture and the Holocaust: students will view these lectures and post to the three distinct Visual Culture Discussions (VCDs) over the course of the semester, as indicated in the course calendar. There are three sequential, numbered VCDs; each VCD lasts three weeks, and students are expected to post and reply multiple times in each numbered VCD. The entire Visual Culture Discussions assignment is worth 20 points out of your final course grade (six points each for VCD 1 and 2 and eight points for VCD 3) and will be graded according to the Discussion Rubric (Global Engagement assessment). There will be no extensions on the Visual Culture Discussions final deadline, and failure to post by the interim deadlines will result in reduced scores on the rubric.

Take-Home Essay

Please review the important information about assignments page for information related to submitting essays and the use of Turnitin for plagiarism prevention.

A take-home essay exam on the “Jewish Question” of about 1000 words concludes Module 1. It is worth 10 points out of your final course grade and will be graded according to the Essay Rubric (Global Awareness assessment). Additional instructions will be provided.

Comparative Essay Assignment

A comparative essay assignment on human relationships during the Holocaust of about 1500 words concludes Module 3 of the course. The entire assignment is worth 18 points out of your final course grade; the essay portion (15 points) will be graded according to the Essay Rubric (Global Perspective assessment). A class dialogue/discussion assignment precedes the essay deadline and is worth 3 points.  Additional instructions will be provided.

Final Exam

A Final Examination will be held during the scheduled Final Exam time block, based on a pre-distributed study guide. The Final Exam is worth 20 points out of your final course grade. Additional instructions will be provided.

Class Participation and Attendance

Class meets only 13 times over the course of the semester; most of the class meetings include at least one active learning exercise, and student participation in these class meetings and exercises is critical for attaining the learning objectives. Students will receive 1 point for on-time attendance and active participation in classroom activities for each class meeting; students will receive a ½ point per instance for tardy arrival (5 minutes late or more), early departure or otherwise disruptive behavior, up to a total of 12 points (you get one free absence).  The balance of the points in this category will be assessed at the discretion of the professor based on the quality of student classroom engagement. 

Given the current COVID conditions, I understand that students may miss class meetings: if you complete the P3 app prior to coming to campus on the days class meets, and if you do not receive a green check, simply forward your P3 failure email notification to me to serve as evidence for an excused absence.  At that point, you will be given an opportunity to make up the missing class time and class work on a week-by-week basis: usually, I will be recording all or part of the class, provided that week's activity is conducive to recording, and you would view the recording by Friday of the given week. You would then be instructed to post to a special "COVID Quarantine Community" Discussion prompt I will create for each week in which at least one person from class is out due to P3 failure notification (typically, this prompt will simply seek to establish that you watched the recording and engaged in any related activity).  In cases where the class activity for that week is not conducive to recording, I will post an alternate assignment in the same Discussion thread to facilitate making up the class time.  In both of these cases, unless I ask for more details, you can assume that you will have made up the class attendance/participation point as a result of your participation in the Discussion.  Note that all students in the course, whether attending class or not, will have access to the "COVID Quarantine Community" Discussion and are welcome to post to it, but only those with excused absences as a result of evidence of P3 failure will be able to make up attendance/participation points through this Discussion assignment.  Note also that the "COVID Quarantine Community" Discussion is not a substitute for the collaborative learning that takes place during class meetings, and I strongly urge students in the course to create a WhatsApp group or similar to communicate with each other, share notes and thoughts, and generally support the learning of each week's material.

Attendance at co-curricular events as part of FIU’s Annual Holocaust & Genocide Awareness Week

Evidence is required of virtual or in person attendance in at least two Holocaust-related lectures, films, or events offered as part of FIU’s Annual Holocaust & Genocide Awareness Week (Jan. 23-28); all of these events qualify for this assignment.  The evidence of attendance is due by the last day of regular classes but will be accepted long before that date (details TBA). This assignment is worth 4 points out of the final course grade and counts as a GL co-curricular activity; additionally, there will be opportunities to add up to 3 more extra credit points based on this or other event attendance—see below.

Grading

All student work will be assigned numerical grades, corresponding to the following letter grades, according to the criteria below.  Final grades will be calculated according to the percentages outlined above and converted to final letter grades for the course.

Total points available: 105, but the final grade will be assessed based on a score out of 100 (it's like a little bonus, built into the course itself).

Course Grades Distribution Table

Course Requirements	Number of Items	Points for Each	Total Points Available
Quizzes (lowest score dropped)	6 out of 7	3	18
Take-Home Essay Exam	1	10	10
Comparative Essay Assignment	1	18	18
Visual Culture Discussions	3	varies	20
Final Exam	1	20	20
Class Attendance & Participation			15
Attendance at Co-curricular HGAW Events	2	2	4
Total	10	N/A	105

 

Letter Grade Distribution Table

Letter	Range%	Letter	Range%	Letter	Range%
A	93 or above	B	83 - 87	C	70 - 76
A-	90 - 92	B-	80 - 82	D	60 - 69
B+	88 - 89	C+	77 - 79	F	59 or less

 

Course Regulations and Expectations

• READINGS must be completed and ONLINE LECTURES viewed during the week they are assigned.
  • Careful preparation of readings and attention to lectures are essential for comprehension, participation, and overall performance!
• CLASS MEETINGS:
  • This is a hybrid course with once-weekly in person class meetings.  Since class meets only 13 times in the course of the semester, timely attendance and participation are expected. Strive for perfect and on time attendance! 
• POLICIES ON DUE DATES:
  • All assignments are due by 11:59pm on Fridays unless otherwise noted. 
    • As a courtesy, all assignments remain open for a 24 hour grace period to accommodate late submissions, technical difficulties, and the like; assignments close at 11:59pm on Saturdays.  Students wishing to submit any assignment after the end of the grace period for any reason must contact the professor and explain their request.
    • Online quizzes are designed to be attempted after class meetings and after completing the assigned readings and videos each week as indicated in the course calendar.  I recommend students attempt each quiz for the first time early in the week it is assigned.  Each quiz may be attempted up to three times (questions vary with each attempt). 
      • Reminder: The lowest quiz score out of the seven required quizzes will be dropped from the final grade calculation.
• PLAGIARISM and any and all forms of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Plagiarism is stealing someone else’s words or original ideas. Plagiarism occurs in two forms: (1) uncredited quotations (including words copied from elsewhere but not bracketed by quotation marks and quotations without proper citations and documentation) and (2) uncredited paraphrases. In both cases, to avoid plagiarism, students must properly cite the source material. Only commonly known facts and concepts, general material learned in the course of research and study, and students’ original ideas do not require citation. Students found violating standards risk receiving a grade of 0 on the assignment in question, may fail the course, and may be reported directly to the Office of Academic Affairs.
  • For useful guidelines, go to the Plagiarism Prevention section on the FIU Library’s website: http://libguides.fiu.edu/plagiarism.
• FIU’s CENTER FOR EXCELLENCE IN WRITING offers free services. Take advantage of them! See http://writingcenter.fiu.edu/
• EXTRA CREDIT (beyond what is already built into the course) is always available for the diligent student. You may either write a 2-3 page essay about one of the outside events you attended to meet the co-curricular requirement outlined above, or you may attend and write about a different event; either must be pre-approved. Further guidelines will be provided.
  • Extra credit essays are due no later than April 22.

Access your Course Calendar for course topics and assignments.