Representing the Holocaust in Words & Images
SAMPLE SYLLABUS
Note: This is not the exact syllabus for your semester, but it
will give you a good sense of what we will be doing
Instructor: Dr. Rachel N. Baum
Email: rbaum@uwm.edu
Office: Greene Museum 120 (Center for Jewish Studies; next to Sabin)
Phone: 229-5156
Course Description: The Holocaust remains one of the most horrific events in modern
history. It is nearly impossible to comprehend the torture and murder of men, women,
and children on such a massive scale. History has had a difficult enough time piecing
together the events of the past . . . what about art? Is it appropriate to write novels and
poetry about such horror? Do literature and film add anything to the study of history?
What should such literature and film do? Should it shock us? Educate us? Horrify us?
Make us cry? How can literature and film help us to remember a past we did not
experience?
This course will provide a general background to the Holocaust as well as to the study of
literature.
Required Reading:
The following books are available for purchase at the UWM Bookstore and should be
easily available from other booksellers.
Gerda Weissman Klein, All But My Life
Art Spiegelman, Maus II: And Here My Troubles Began
Ruth Kluger, Still Alive: A Holocaust Childhood Remembered
All other readings will be delivered via an online program called Ginkgotree, at a cost of
$15.
Students are expected to bring the reading of the day to class with them, either on an edevice or on paper. Students who come unprepared will receive a zero for the day’s work.
If you have an exceptional situation, please speak to me about it before class.
Learning Outcomes:
A student successfully completing this course will be able to:
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Identify the major events of the Holocaust and describe the historical progression
of the Nazi murder of the Jews of Europe
Describe the major ethical, aesthetic, and representational concerns around
representations of the Holocaust
Recognize, evaluate, and analyze the complex moral context of the Holocaust,
with particular attention to the roles of victim, perpetrator, and bystander
Analyze a Holocaust text (literature or film) with particular attention to the
ethical, aesthetic, and representational issues raised by the text.
D2L/Facebook
This course has a D2L site, where you will find some of the course readings as well as
the quizzes (which are taken and submitted online). I have also set up a Facebook page
for the course. You can find the page by clicking on the Facebook link in the upper right
hand corner of the D2L page. Through FB, I will send reminders of due dates, articles
that might be of interest, etc……..Using D2L is mandatory for the class, but Facebook is
not. That said, you’ll find the FB page useful, and I recommend it. You only need to
“like” the page, you don’t need to friend anyone in the class.
Ginkgotree/Online Textbook
This class is involved in a pilot project on the use of an online personalized textbook. We
are using a program called Ginkgotree, which gives you online access to many of the
readings of the class. The purpose of the pilot project is to try out new ways to bring
down the cost of textbooks for students.
In addition, Ginkgotree has many cool features. You can annotate (comment) in GT, can
respond to essays, can mark up your papers, etc – Many of the features you can do with a
paper copy, as well as additional features.
Because you are the “guinea pigs,” I’ll be asking you to fill out a survey or two about
your experiences using GT. I really appreciate your willingness to try something new!
Assignments:
1. Quizzes, 300 points: There are frequent quizzes in this course. The point of frequent
quizzes is to insure that everyone is doing the reading. Most of the quizzes are only a few
questions long; the quizzes on Holocaust History are more substantial, because you need
the historical background.
Generally, quizzes are due before class on the day that the reading is due. The quizzes all
together are worth 30% of your grade, so take them seriously.
Quizzes will be administered online via the course D2L site. The questions are mostly
multiple choice.
2. Journal, 400 points (10 entries, 40 points per entry): Much of the writing in this
class will be done through journal entries. Journal entries allow you to regularly engage
with the issues of the class, to reflect on what you have read, to ask questions, wonder,
imagine, and explore. The idea of them is to have you write regularly, rather than only
completing a few essays over the course of the semester. This means that the work in this
class will be frequent, but low-stress, because each assignment is not worth that many
points.
Your journal will be handed in on D2L. If you complete more than 10 entries, I will drop
the lower grades.
3. Midterm Essay, 100 points. Due on 3/28 (on D2L and in hard copy).
4. Final Essay (final exam), 100 points. Due on 5/13 (on D2L).
5. Attendance/Participation/Group Participation: 100 points
6. Extra Credit, up to 100 points.
a. Watch Holocaust films & write a 1-2 page paper (single spaced) about them.
(up to 20 points each)
b. Attend Holocaust-related events/lectures and write a 1-2 page paper (single
spaced) about them (up to 25 points each)
c. Commenting on Ginkgotree to questions I pose (generally 5-10 pts each)
d. Other EC might be available, as ideas come to me.
Extra credit will only be counted for those students who have missed no more than six
classes, and who have completed at least ½ of the quizzes and ½ of the journal entries.
Grading (It’s not personal; it’s math!):
The grading for this course is based on 1000 points. Your final grade will be computed
thusly:
950 – 1000 points = A
900 – 949 = A860 – 899 = B+
821 – 859 = B
800 – 820 = B760 – 799 = C+
721 – 759 = C
700 – 720 = C650 – 699 = D+
600 – 649 = D
Below 600 points = F
Your grade will be kept up to date on D2L, and I encourage you to use that information
to inspire your active participation in the course.
Time Commitment
Students are different: some are fast readers, others are not; some can more easily put
their ideas into words than others. That said, here is an average breakdown of how you
can expect to spend your time this semester:
In-class time: 37.5 hours (2.5 hours a week)
Reading & Comprehension: 75 hours (5 hours/week)
Essays: 12 hours
Quizzes (studying & completing): 15 hours
POLICIES:
Attendance: The learning for this class happens primarily in the classroom, so your
attendance in class is vital. Therefore, you are allowed two free absences. After that, you
will lose class points for not attending. Here is how it lays out:
1 absence: 100 points
2 absences: 100 points
3 absences: 80 points
4 absences: 60 points
5 absences: 35 points
6 absences: 10 point
7 or more absences: 0 points
Students who miss more than 10 classes will fail the class, independent of their
grades on other elements of the course.
Arriving Late/Leaving Early: If you need to leave class early, or come in late, please
note this on a piece of paper with your name & hand it to me. I will add up the time you
have missed and apply it to the attendance policy (e.g, if you leave 15 minutes early four
times during the semester, it will count as missing one 75-minute class).
Participation/Preparedness: You must come to class each day prepared to talk about the
readings, and with the readings in your hand. Any student who is not so prepared will
receive a zero for the day, which will be factored into your class participation grade.
Late Assignments: If you are absent the day an assignment is due, please bring it to the
following class. You can find out what we did in class by looking at the syllabus;
otherwise, please ask another student for notes. I will post any handouts on the D2L site.
Participation by All Students: If you need special accommodations in order to meet any
of the requirements of this course, please contact me as soon as possible. Students with a
Visa from the Student Accessibility Center should give me the visa within the first two
weeks of the class.
Accommodation for Religious Observances:
Students will be allowed to complete examinations or other requirements that are missed
because of a religious observance.
Email Etiquette: I check my email regularly and will usually respond to email within 24
hours. Please make the subject line something identifiable, such as Jewish Studies 261, so
that I don’t accidentally delete your message. Should you not hear from me within a day,
please resend it.
Technology Policy:
We all multi-task. We surf the web while watching TV while texting a friend. But not in
this class. I will ask you not to multitask during my class. If you have an open laptop, you
should be using it to take notes.
This extends to other technology too. Please put your phones on vibrate and do not
answer any phone calls or text messages unless you are monitoring an emergency, have
kids in school, etc. If you need to use the phone, please step out of the room.
Academic Misconduct
Students are responsible for the honest completion and representation of their work, for
the appropriate citation of sources, and for respect of others' academic endeavors.
Claiming other people’s writing or ideas as your own is a serious offense. Be sure to
credit your sources – including information you’ve gotten off of the Internet – in your
work. If you are unsure how to do this, be sure to see me.
If that’s not persuasive enough, university policy specifies that “[p]rohibited conduct
includes cheating on an examination; collaborating with others in work to be presented,
contrary to the stated rules of the course; submitting a paper or assignment as one's own
work when a part or all of the paper or assignment is the work of another; submitting a
paper or assignment that contains ideas or research of others without appropriately
identifying the sources of those ideas; stealing examinations or course materials;
submitting, if contrary to the rules of a course, work previously presented in another
course; tampering with the laboratory experiment or computer program of another
student; knowingly and intentionally assisting another student in any of the above,
including assistance in an arrangement whereby any work, classroom performance,
examination or other activity is submitted or performed by a person other than the student
under whose name the work is submitted or performed.”
Potential penalties for academic misconduct include reprimand, repeating an assignment,
failing the assignment or course, removal from the course, academic probation,
suspension, or expulsion.
My Zero-Tolerance Policy Towards Plagiarism
The internet has made it easier to cheat in a variety of ways. I have had more cases of
plagiarism over the last five years than I have in the past. Filing academic misconduct
charges against a student is time-consuming and depressing. Because of my past
experience, I have now instituted a zero-tolerance policy towards plagiarism. Of course,
most students don’t cheat, so this is directed only towards those of you who might at
some point consider taking the easy way out of a paper or exam.
If I catch you cheating on anything in my class – a one-page paper or a quiz – you
will fail the class. No questions asked. I will not care that it was your first time
cheating, or that you are under a lot of stress. Cheating is wrong and it will not be
tolerated in this class. I will report the case to the dean of students and you will fail
the class. It will not matter if you have been in the class for one month or for the
entire semester.
The University Policy about these issues and others (e.g., students called to active
military duty, discriminatory conduct, incompletes, etc.) can be found at:
http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/SecU/SyllabusLinks.pdf
Major/Minor in Jewish Studies
This course fulfills a requirement for the Jewish Studies major and minor. The major
offers two tracks: Hebrew Studies and Jewish Cultural Studies (which does not require
Hebrew language). With its combination of core courses and electives, the Jewish Studies
program allows students to create a course of study that can focus on religion, culture,
Israel, Holocaust, media, or immigration. A dynamic and innovative major, Jewish
Studies prepares students to work in our multicultural world.
For more information on the Jewish Studies major and minor, please contact me, as I am
coordinator of the Jewish Studies program.
CALENDAR
Subject to Change
To determine your homework, look at the following class period to see what we will
be studying. You must come prepared to discuss the texts listed on the syllabus for
each particular day.
All reading other than All But My Life, Maus II, and Still Alive can be found in
Ginkgotree (accessed via D2L).
Week One: Introduction to the course
T 1/21 First day of class – go over syllabus, course policies.
HW: Buy books/Ginkgotree; Begin reading Holocaust History I (Ginkgotree)
Th 1/23: Holocaust History I. What was the Holocaust? Holocaust timeline.
Week Two: Introduction to the Holocaust and Holocaust Literature
T 1/28: More on Holocaust history
Th 1/30: Is the Holocaust beyond expression? Poetry after Auschwitz, issues of
Holocaust representation.
Quiz #1 (on “Holocaust History I”) must be completed on D2L before Thursday’s
class
Journal #1 due
Week Three: Testimony
T 2/4: All But My Life
Th 2/6: All But My Life
Journal #2 due
Week Four: Visual Testimony
T 2/11: Holocaust History II (Ginkgotree). In class: One Survivor Remembers (video)
Th 2/13: Holocaust History II (Ginkgotree). In class: Night & Fog (video)
Quiz #2 (on “Holocaust History II”) due on D2L by midnight, Thurs, 2/13
Quiz #3 (on “Holocaust History III”) due on D2L by midnight, Sunday, 2/16
Journal #3 due
Week Five: The Complexity of Testimony
T 2/18: Borowski, “This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen” (GT) Quiz #4 due
before class.
Th 2/20: Four Excerpts from The Good Old Days (GT); Christopher Browning, “One
Day in Jozefow: Initiation to Mass Murder” (GT) Quiz # 5 due before class.
Journal #4 due
Week Six: The Complexity of Testimony, Part II: Perpetrator & Bystander
Testimony
T 2/25: “Holocaust History IV” (in GT). In class: Shoah (DVD)
Th 2/27: “Holocaust History V” (in GT) In class: Blind Spot &/or Hitler’s Secretary.
Quiz #6 on “Holocaust History IV” due on D2L by midnight, Thurs, 2/27.
Quiz #7 on “Holocaust History V” due on D2L by midnight, Sun, 3/2
Journal #5 due
Week Seven: The Complexity of Testimony, Part II: Survivor Fiction
T 3/4: Ida Fink, “ A Scrap of Time,” “*****”, “The Key Game”
Th 3/6: Ida Fink, “A Spring Morning” and “Behind the Hedge”. Quiz # 8 (on all Fink
stories) due before class.
Journal #6 due
Week Eight: The Complexity of Testimony, Part III: Autobiographical Stories
T 3/11: Sara Nomberg-Przytyk, “The Block of Death,” and “Esther’s First Born” (GT)
Quiz #9 due before class.
Th 3/13: Bernard Gotfryd, “On Guilt,” “Helmut Reiner” (GT) Quiz #10 due before
class.
Journal #7 due
Week Nine: Spring Break
T 3/18 and Th 3/20: No class – Enjoy your break!
Week Ten: Poetry
T 3/25: Paul Celan, “Death Fugue” (in class: Holocaust poetry, Judaism 101,
Universalism vs. particularism)
Th 3/27: Read all the files for this week on Ginkgotree: Charlotte Delbo, “Arrivals,
Departures” “Seven Poems, Seven Paintings,” Charles Reznikoff, from “Holocaust”,
Jacob Glatstein, “Without Jews”
Midterm Paper Due
Week Eleven: Second-Generation Literature: Maus II
T 4/1: Maus II
Th 4/3: Maus II , also the POV video about Spiegelman on GT. Quiz #11 (on all of
Maus II) due before class.
Week Twelve: Second Generation Literature
T 4/8: “Ida Solomon’s Play” (by J.J. Steinfeld); “from Nightfather” (by Carl Friedman)
(CR) Quiz #12 due before class.
Th 4/10: “Cattle Car Complex”; “The Apostate’s Tattoo” (CR) Quiz #13 due before
class.
Journal #8 due
Week Thirteen: Still Alive
T 4/15: Still Alive Quiz #14 due before class.
Th 4/17: Still Alive Quiz #15 due before class.
Week Fourteen: Art & the Holocaust
T 4/22: Art & the Holocaust
Th 4/24: Art & the Holocaust
Journal #9 due
Week Fifteen:
T 4/29: Train of Life
Th 5/1: Train of Life
Week Sixteen
T 5/6: Paper Clips, or TBA
Th 5/8: Paper Clips, or TBA
Journal #10 due
Final Exam Essay due May 12, 2014