Chicken Soup to Calm the Literary Soul:
Syllabus and General Information for Dr. Botein-Furrevig’s course:
Introduction to Jewish and Holocaust Literature
Sabbath Blessing
Oil on Canvas
Ali Botein
Copyright@ A. Botein-Furrevig, 2010
Dr. A. Botein-Furrevig
Ocean County College
Dr. Ali Botein-Furrevig
Office: Russell 227. 732-255-0400 X2368. My office hours are posted alongside my office door
Cell Phone # 90-783-7384 Email: aboteinfurrevig@ocean.edu
Catalogue Course Description: This course traces the nature and rich history of Jewish literature from its East
European Yiddish roots through the mid 20 th century, including {sic immigrant writings from the three major waves of
immigration and} Holocaust literature, and with particular attention to themes of assimilation, acculturation,
marginality, identity, and persecution.
My Addendum to Above: This course spans a broad panorama of Jewish literature from the Biblical times to the
present. Since any consideration of Jewish writing requires an understanding of how Jewish history and Jewish
literature inform contemporary Jewish writings, we will begin at the beginning with a sampling of wonderful stories
and folk wisdom from Biblical, Talmudic, Kaballistic, and Hasidic sources. We then will examine writings of Eastern
European shtetl writers including Sholom Aleichem and Leib Peretz before following the immigrants to the New World
in 1656. Holocaust literature will also be a key consideration in our journey. The course’s critical approach interrogates
the texts’ meanings through its narrative structures, characterizations, metaphors, representations of women and men,
and cultural and historical contexts –whether print, film, or video. Central questions throughout include: What is Jewish
literature? What is Jewish American literature? What interpretations do literary and cultural sources give to Jewish lives
and identities? How has Jewish life been transformed through processes of assimilation, the rise of secularism, the
reality of anti-Semitism, the extraordinary trauma of the Holocaust? What is the role of storytelling in Jewish culture
and literature? Finally, how are Jewish texts not only ethnic literature, but one whose themes are universal to the human
condition? In the introduction to his 1998 anthology, American Jewish Fiction, Gerald Shapiro eloquently summarizes
the flavour of my course and of the readings I’ve carefully selected for you to read:
“The move from Castle Garden to Rivington Street and then to the suburbs, from steerage to the working class to the
middle class and beyond, did not constitute an end to the journey of American Jews. We’re still en route—like Sholem
Shachnaj, rattlebrained and a little desperate, embarked on an endless and perilous journey home. That journey is the
one true unchanging fact of our lives. The fiction of American Jews is, as it has always been, a series of stories told
along the way to wherever it is we are headed –stories told around a fire. Their fundamental value lies in their power to
remind us of who we are and where we’ve been, and in the process, to give us the courage and the purpose to keep
pushing forward to whatever lies in wait for us ahead.” (p. XV)
Student Learning Objectives:
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Define a canon of “Jewish literature,” understand its evolution, and gain deeper and more nuanced
understanding of a cross section of Jewish literature –poetry, fiction, prose, memoirs –from Biblical narratives
and Middle European Yiddish masters (in translation) through the mid twentieth century writers
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Appreciate Jewish literature as a legitimate field of academic study and as a genre having a rich literary
heritage with recurring ethnic (and often universal) themes including assimilation, cultural and political
marginality, alienation, war, and “other”
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Understand how Jewish American literature has chronicled and paralleled the Jewish American experience,
and to identify the relationship of literary works to their socio-economic, cultural, political, and historical
contexts
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Gain insight into and sensitivity about dimensions and implications of the Nazi genocide by reading a variety
of “Holocaust literature” including diaries, stories, testimonies, and poems, make personal connections with
characters (real and fictional); Humanize the victims and survivors as individuals with dreams, passions, and
agonies; Become a community of sensitive learners in an era that is increasingly indifferent to atrocity, and
incredulous about the Holocaust.
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Realize how Jewish writers have recorded and imagined the experiences of immigration, assimilation,
linguistic disorientation, catastrophe, and cultural and political marginality. Through readings of selected
prose, poetry, novels, diaries, and essays, students will gain insights into how American Jews have responded
to the collision between tradition and achieving the American dream, and how their literature has been defined
by, and significantly reshaped, the American literary landscape.
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Pursue literary analysis in discussion, written presentation, and research
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Understand how the characters and concerns of modern authors reflect the growing distance between first
and second generation Jews, between flight and return, and the grating of the new world against the old ---- and
how their works frequently bash the mores, limitations and restrictions of Jewish life
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Gain Awareness into issues of gender, ethnicity, and identity as a Jew and as a woman in America as seen in
the works of women writers ---and how their writings differ from male writers of the second generation in
terms of cultural content and concerns
General Education Goals:
English 299C addresses these OCC General Education goals:
Goal 2: To develop the ability to communicate effectively through reading, listening, speaking and writing
Goal 6: To develop an understanding of the aesthetic and intellectual experience of literature and the arts, and
appreciate creative expression
Evaluate the historical and cultural significance of a work of literature or art
To develop an understanding and appreciation of diversity among cultures, including respect
for various ways of viewing the world
Required texts:
All texts are available in the OCC bookstore
Chametzky, Jules, et. al,, eds. Jewish American Literature: A Norton Anthology. NY: W.W. Norton & Co., 2001.
______________. Tanakh (Hebrew Bible). Jewish Publication Society..
Patterson, David. Greatest Jewish Stories. NY: Jonathan David Pub.:2001
Available 2101: Botein-Furrevig. Heart of the Stranger: A Portrait of Lakewood’s Orthodox Community. Comteq
Publishing, 2010.
Course Standards:
Class Format: For the most part, I provide, via lecture and handouts, background material on each
of the works to be read before you tackle the text. There might be a 15-20 minute quiz on each text
with questions and/or quotes that must be identified and contextualized.
Success in This Course: Students should remember that success in this course is directly related to both
completion of assignments and to attendance. Very simply: If you do your homework, come to class
prepared, and maintain an overall average of at least “C,” you will probably pass the course. Should you
foresee any difficulty maintaining required attendance, or encounter problems with assignments, contact me
immediately. Of utmost importance, I want you to know that my primary expectation of my students is that
they take responsibility for their own learning.. It involves attendance, promptness, and a positive attitude
towards learning with a minimum of whining. It involves a commitment to doing the best you can, rather
than the least you can get away with. To this end:
Regular attendance is mandatory. All students are allowed a total of four absences. On the fifth absence,
you will most likely be withdrawn from class. Two lateness will qualify as one absence. This does not mean
you should miss four classes: it does mean that if you miss any more than that for almost any reason, you
will be withdrawn by me. If you must leave class early, let me know prior to the start of class, and sit close to
the door. If you are absent for any reason, you are expected to keep up with what we covered in class. Motto
here: ALWAYS BE PREPARED. Also, if you must miss a class, a courtesy call or e-mail is requested.
Please note that _________ is the last day to withdraw with a “W” and after that, and without exception,
you will receive an “F” for the course.
“Be there” in every sense of the phrase: Perhaps even more important than your physical presence in class, I
also expect you to be mentally present and active. This means that you are prepared for class having done the
assigned reading, and that you are an engaged listener and active participant in discussions. Physically
missing class more than four times, consistently arriving late or leaving early, disrupting class, or persistently
maintaining a “checked-out” attitude in class will, at best, adversely affect your course grade. Remember
too: If I’m talking, you should be taking notes.
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Classroom Civility: Please refer to www.ocean.edu/civility.htm
Dr. Botein’s Draconian Definitions/Consequences of Classroom Disruptive Behaviour
I am, and always have been, vehemently committed to setting a bar for classroom courtesy and
civility, and will ask whoever violates my code of conduct to leave the class (you will be marked
absent) Disruptive behaviour includes:
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Talking when the professor or another student is speaking to the class
Not raising hand to be recognized by me
Late arrivals to class and early exits
Cell phone use: Cells must be out of my view and turned off –do not put on vibrate
Laptops unless used exclusively for class note-taking
Wearing hats in class (unless for religious purposes)
Distracting the class in any way
Questioning validity or “fairness (“fairness???) of assignments and pedagogy
Raising questions about personal issues that should be handled before/ after class
Disrespectful body language
Use of vulgarity and inappropriate language, disrespectful tone of voice
Sleeping in class
Eating in class –you are more than welcome to bring water to class
Not sitting in correct seat –you will be marked absent
Asking a question that you can find answer to on your syllabus
Threatening students or professor
In short, I expect you to behave in an adult and appropriate manner conducive to a positive learning
and teaching environment. This is a reasonable expectation that is fully supported by the college
and could become addictive! The classroom, by legal definition, is not a public forum nor is it a
democracy. You have no rights, no unconditional freedom of speech. I usually carry a copy of the
US Constitution and will be happy to let you thumb through to check your concerns. Failure to
comply with my-- what you might consider old fashioned -- standards of behaviour will, without
exception, result in:
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Your being asked to leave the class, and receiving an absence for the day with responsibility for
what you missed. Trust me, this is non-negotiable. Should you refuse to leave or argue the point,
I will dismiss the class (everyone will receive an absence) and possibly (if I feel you are a threat
to the class or to me) ask for immediate intervention by campus security
Possible referral to the dean, VP Academic Affairs, and/or OCC Behaviour Intervention Team
(CARE) all of whom will document the situation
Possible administrative withdrawal from class
To be honest, I have had to resort to these measures a few times over my years here. It is not
something I enjoy doing or that I want to do. So… just be, as my grandmother used to say, a
mensch!!! Oh yes, remember I said my classroom is NOT a democracy? I generally leave my
cell phone on so that I can receive emergency messages from the college in the event of disaster,
weather, or security threat. This is, after all, a post 9-11 world and incidents of campus violence
is a real and growing issue.
Grading Criteria and Timely Submission of Assignments: Formal assignments must be submitted, directly
by the student, at the beginning of class on the date noted on the syllabus (or as otherwise instructed) and
must be typed on a word processor or computer. I will not read hand-written essays. PRINTER PROBLEMS
is not a reason for late submission, and I do not accept computer discs or papers sent via email. Formal
assignments will be dropped a full letter grade for each DAY that the paper is late. I will not accept papers
later than one meeting after the paper is due, at which time a non-negotiable “Zero” will be assigned and
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averaged into your course grades. If you are not in any class for any reason, I will abide by the “not handed
in –full grade penalty rule” for assignments.
Your final course grade will be computed based on 1000 points as follows:
Four Response Papers
600 points
Oral Presentation/Written Report on Film
150 points
Class participation (tied into attendance), in-class writing
250 points
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1000 points
Numerical Equivalent of Letter Grade:
900-1000 = A
700-740 = C
860-899 = B+
650-699 = D
800-859 = B
Below 650 = F
741-799 = C+
I often refer to this sheet as I grade and will sometimes quote it in the written comments I provide.
Please keep these criteria in mind as you prepare your assignments; if you have a question about a
grade, please consult them again before you come to talk to me.
A Paper: The A paper - You did everything really well. An excellent paper that gives a strong sense of the
writer’s voice and holds the reader’s interest. The paper is well organized with good transitions, and the writer makes a
point and supports that point. In general, the A paper contains controlled and precise writing: including clear and
forceful diction, focused structure, only a few typos or small errors.
B Paper: You did the job, plus you did something well. A good paper that more than meets the assignment.
The writer makes a clear commitment to the audience and meets the commitment in the paper. Generalizations are
supported and specific examples are used. The main idea is fairly clear, and the evidence supports the conclusion. It has
a few errors. In general, the B paper contains competent and basically correct writing and a firm sense of structure.
C Paper: You did the assignment - you basically accomplished its goals.A satisfactory paper that makes
a routine response to the assignment. It makes a commitment to the reader and attempts to meet that commitment. It is
adequately organized so that the reader can follow it, although transitions may sometimes be abrupt, mechanical, or
monotonous. The main idea and supporting evidence are included, but sometimes difficult to pick out. Generalizations
are supported with specifics, but the specifics are occasionally repetitious, irrelevant, or sketchy. There are a few
distracting errors in usage, punctuation, or spelling. Language is used correctly but without distinction.
D Paper: You did something at least minimally related to the course content. A below-standard
paper. It shows a poor sense of audience and purpose. The commitment to the reader is vague or buried; the content is
largely unsupported generalities. The main point and supporting evidence are not all present, and when they are, they
don’t connect. Points are inadequately developed, and there are a few specifics or concrete examples. It is poorly
organized and difficult to follow. There are enough errors in usage and punctuation to distract the reader seriously.
F Paper:. A disaster with no sense of audience or purpose. OR a plagiarized essay*. The paper does not make a
commitment to the reader early in the paper. It is poorly organized, with ideas jumbled together so that it is difficult to
follow. The points it does make are primarily generalizations, not adequately supported with specific examples or
details. It is marred by serious errors in punctuation or usage. Language is used inaccurately. It does not meet the
requirements stipulated for the paper. In general the D or F papers contain major and repeated errors (fragments, runons, faulty agreement, etc.) incoherence, lack of structure, poor diction. This level of essay says little of value.
*Plagiarism. You should refer to the student handbook and review Policy #1580. The word
plagiarize is derived from the Latin verb meaning “to kidnap.” Kidnapping or stealing or someone
else’s ideas and presenting them as your own is regarded as a serious offense in Western academic
culture and public life. Any of the following are regarded as plagiarizing:
 Presenting the work of others as your own work
 Downloading materials from the Internet without acknowledgement
 Using the ideas or words you find in a print or web source without acknowledging where
those ideas or words come from
 Forgetting to add a citation to ideas that are not your own
***The above is from Ann Raimes’ Key for Writers Fourth ed.
NOTE: The college (and I) hold that any instance of academic dishonesty will result in a failing grade
and/or disciplinary action. Use of all primary and secondary source materials must be legitimate and
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have proper MLA documentation. is Accidental plagiarism still plagiarism, and it can still result in a
failed assignment, a failed class, or expulsion from a college. Even honest sorts can fall into the foul
clutches of plagiarism! What are the most common types of accidental plagiarism?
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Failure to distinguish carefully between outside sources and your own thoughts when taking
initial notes for research projects.
Failure to "frame" paraphrased material.
Laziness about appropriate adaptation
Cutting and Pasting from web resources
If your paper is plagiarized, it will receive a zero grade. Depending on the situation, I might
drop you from the course and/or refer the matter to the Dean/VP of Academic Affairs which
will result in serious academic discipline and possible notation on your transcript.
Campus Resources and Services: Tutoring is available [a] in the Writing Center for writing
assignments in all subject areas, not just English courses, and [b] in the Mathematics Tutoring
Center. Tutoring information for all other subjects can be found on the Tutoring page on the
college website. In addition, Study Strategy Seminars are scheduled each week and are posted on
the college website under “Academics.” More information on college services can be found by
using the A-Z index on the college website (for example, under “T” for Tutoring or under “S” for
Study Strategy Seminars).
Statement of Accommodation: If there is any student in this class who has special needs because of
learning disabilities or other kinds of disabilities, please feel free to come and discuss this with me
or a staff member in the Center for Academic Excellence.
OCC Disclaimer: Individual faculty members may make reasonable changes to this course outline
exclusive of course requirements, course calendar, and grading procedures.
All individuals should not assume that anything received, sent, or stored in this course or in any
course is private. Students’ written work, assignments, and test results may be used anonymously
for college assessment purposes. Course content, support materials, and communications (including
chats, discussions, emails, and any other forms of communication) may be used for quality
assurance purposes by authorized college administrators.
Important Notes: OceanCruiser is the official email communication for students at OCC
(firstname_lastname@occ.mailcruiser.com)
Failure to pay for this course may result in your being dropped for non-payment.
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COURSE SYLLABUS AND DAILY ASSIGNMENTS
Please Remember: YOU ARE EXPECTED TO READ THE ASSIGNED TEXTS BEFORE THE
CLASS ON WHICH IT IS ASSIGNED. Note that NA refers to Norton Anthology of Jewish
American Literature, GJS refers to Greatest Jewish Stories, HS refers to Heart of the Stranger, and
HB refers to Tanakh or The Hebrew Bible.
“Why Did God Create Human Beings? Because He Loves Stories.” --Eli Weisel
UNIT ONE: In the Beginning: The Old Testament (JPS Hebrew Bible)
Mon. Jan. 24: Introduction to Judaism and Hebrew Bible and Torah. Begin Genesis
Wed. Jan. 26: Creation: Gen 1-11 Creation to the Flood and Re-creation to the
Ancestors
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Mon.Jan. 31: Gen. 12-50: Abraham Cycle, Jacob Cycle
Wed. Feb. 2: Joseph Cycle
Mon. Feb.7: Moses and Exodus: Exodus 1-5, 10-14
Mon. Feb. 14: Exodus: 19-20, 24, 32-34
Short response paper #1 (3-4 pages) Biblical literature I due Feb. 23: Choose one
of the following :
Book of Exodus: Describe the various ways G-d revealed His presence and made
Himself known in Exodus. In what ways was G-d visible and in what ways invisible?
What do you think this implies about Israe’s understanding of the nature of its G-d
and life in His presence?
Book of Exodus: The Book of Exodus brings together two great human themes,
namely, freedom from oppression and rule by law. What is the relationship between
these two themes? Why was it important and what effect did it have that both were
associated with Israel’s supreme deity and, in fact, came about through the Deity’s
initiative?
Genesis: What is the relationship of the Tower of Babel story to previous stories of
sin in Genesis 3-10, and why is it a fitting conclusion to the overall tale of
disobedience told in the Primeval story?
Genesis: The Primeval Story as a whole implies that G-d created the world by
subduing and shaping the waters of chaos. Later, humanity rebelled against G-d and
contaminated the world. After an attempt to start over, even the “reborn” world of
Noah was sinful. What does it say about G-d that He started over and yet never gave
up trying to fashion a perfect world? What does it imply about humanity?
UNIT TWO: Post Biblical Rabbinical Stories from Talmud, Midrash,
Kabbalah, and Folktales
Wed. Feb. 16: Introduction to Rabbinical literature, Talmud, Oral Law
Mon. Feb. 21: Talmudic Tales: (GJS) Read G-d, Satan and Law of Moses; Hillel the
Elder; Who Will Have a Share?; Choni the Circle Drawer; Why Elijah Failed to
Appear; The Arrest of Rabbi Eliezer; The Golden Calf; Moses and Akiva
Wed. Feb. 23: Paper #1 on Biblical literature is due today
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Read: Misdrashic Tales: Why Cain and Abel Quarreled; Death of Cain p. 155; The
Idol Atop the Tower ; Binding of Isaac; Satan’s Slaying of Sarah; A Daughter’s
Wisdom; The Golden Calf; Why G-d Buried Moses; Why Moses was Not Buried in
Holy Land
Mon. Feb. 28: Introduction to Kabbalah: Read Kabbalistic Tales (GJS): G-d’s back;
How G-d Acquired a Name; Why the World Was Punished with Water; Faces
Changed by Sin; The Entrance of Death…; How G-d Chose Israel for the Torah
Short Response Paper #2 (3-5 pages) on Rabbinic literature due Mar. 23
I’ve grouped Biblical Figures/events and the various rabbinic texts that they appear in. Choose one
of these figures/events (some we’ve read, or others such as Cain and Abel, Adam and Eve which we
may not have gone over) and compare and contrast their treatment in Biblical, Kabbalistic, Legend,
Talmudic, and Midrashic Tales. How do the Talmud, Kabbalah, Midrash and Legends illuminate,
contradict, and/or fill in the gaps of the Biblical story? You need only use one story from each genre
and three genres. All stories are in Greatest Jewish Tales.
Creation
Biblical: The First Man and Woman; Exile from the Garden
Talmud: Four Who Entered the Garden
Kabbalistic: Jeremiah…, How G-d Acquired a Name, The Union of Heaven and Earth, How the
World Became Firmly Established, Faces Changed by Sin, Let Us Proceed
Legends and Folktales: The Story of Adam’s Fear, From the Tears of Truth
Cain and Abel
Biblical: First Blood
Midrashic: Why Cain and Abel Quarreled, The Death of Cain
Kabbalistic: The Entrance of Death and Demons into the World
Abraham
Biblical: G-d’s Covenant with Abraham, Sodom and Gomorrah, The Binding of Isaac,
Talmudic: When Abraham Stood in the Temple
Midrashic: Abraham and Samael, The Binding of Isaac, Sarah’s Slaying of Sarah, A Daughter’s
Wisdom
Legends and Folktales: Abraham and Nimrod, The Hospitality of Abraham, Abraham and the
Angel of Death
Moses
Biblical: The Burning Bush, The Angel of Death Passes Over, The Revelation at Sinai
Talmudic: G-d, Satan, and the Law of Moses, Joseph’s Coffin, Moses and Akiva
Midrashic: Moses the Stutterer, Sureties for the Torah, Why Moses Was Not Buried in the Holy
Land, Why G-d Buried Moses
Kabbalistic: G-d’s Back, Jeremiah Seeks a Companion, How G-d Chose Israel for the Torah
Legends and Folktales: The Faith of Nachshon, The Death of Moses
Elijah and Elisha
Biblical: Chariot of Fire, A Child Returned to Life,
Talmudic: Who Will Have a Share?, The Need of Another, Why Elijah Failed to Appear
Kabbalistic: Jeremiah Seeks a Companion
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UNIT THREE: The Shtetl: Eastern European Life and Stories
Wed. Mar. 2: Historical, religious, and contextual background. NA: Read Hodel by
Shalom Aleichem; Irving Howe (1920-1993) Sholom Aleichem page 785. We will
begin viewing Fiddler on the Roof
Mon. Mar. 7 and Wed. Mar. 9: Fiddler
Spring Break Monday, March 14-Sunday Mar. 20 --Enjoy!
Mon. Mar. 21: GJS: Read Tales of the Hasidim : The Man Who Recorded the Words
of the Besht; The Little Boy’s Tune; The Scholar and the Laborer; How to Serve G-d;
Horror in the Night; The King Who Loved Music; The Sound of Babbling; The Mad
Prince; The King’s Daughter; Who Are You, G-d Speaks in All things
Wed. Mar. 23: Paper #2 on Rabbinical literature due today. Read If not Higher
and The Golem by Peretz (GJS pages 350+ )
Short response paper #3 of 3-4 pages on Eastern European literature due April
11:
The tales of the Hasidic Masters come to us through oral tradition. Read and analyze
three Hasidic tales by the same Maggid (Dov Ber, Levi Yitzchak, Baal Shem Tov,,
Rabbi Nachman. Discuss what the lesson to be learned is. Is it relevant to your life
today and how? Examples? Do not summarize the stories; assume your reader (that
would be moi) have read them.
UNIT FOUR: Coming to America: The Literature of Arrival (1654-1880)
All Selections are from Norton Anthology of Jewish American Literature
Mon. Mar.28: Introduction to Unit 3. Read 2 Letters of Rebecca Samuel (page 38+);
and 2 Letters of Rebecca Gratz (page 44+),
Wed. Mar.30: Penina Moise (pages 69-72); Emma Lazarus’ In the Jewish
Synagogue…(page101),The New Ezekiel (pages105+) and The New Colossus (pages
106+)
Mon. Apr. 4: Equality of the Sexes (pages145+); A Bintl Briv (P298-307)
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UNIT FIVE: The Great Tide of Immigration: Writers of the Lower East Side
(1881-1924)
Wed. Apr.6 and Mon. Apr.11: Read the introduction to The Great Tide… (pages
109-122). We will view film, Hester St. Paper #3 on Hasidic literature due April
11
Wed. Apr.13: Abraham Cahan’s A Ghetto Wedding; Leo Rosten’s The Education of
H**Y**M**A**N**K**A**P**L**A**N** I will give out Holocaust films today.
Mon. Apr. 18. No class. Observance of Passover Holiday (remember Exodus?)
Wed. Apr.20: Read Mary Antin (1881-1949) The Lie (pages 191-205)
Read Anzia Yezierska (1885-1970) Children of Loneliness (pages 233-244)
Short Paper #4 for Units 4 and 5 on immigrant literature due May 4: Choose
one:
We’ve read this so called “literature of arrival” between 1654 and roughly 1880, through the
writings of Emma Lazarus. Most of the immigrants came from Germany, Austria, Hungary. Many
of the writings reflect the excitement of opportunity and good fortune, as well as the sense of
responsibility to the larger community. Too, the writings address such issues as what it meant to be
Jewish in this early period, and what it meant to be American -- and how those two (often
conflicting) identities fit together to form a literature. Some of the readings take their “Jewishness”
from a religious standpoint, rather than an ethnic one. In the earliest settlements of Jewish
Americans, their differences from their fellow colonists derive solely from religious practice and
belief—a unique period in Jewish American history. Finally these works are related to the literature
that follows because they ask the most pressing and persistent question that all Jewish Americans
ask: How does religious identity combine, collide, or coexist with national interests, allegiances,
and obligations? Within this framework, discuss (compare and contrast) at least two of the
writings in the Norton Anthology section called Literature of Arrival to compare and contrast.
You may include texts in the Norton Anthology which we did not read for class. A thought:
compare and contrast the writings of a man and woman.
or
Option B) The second group of immigrants who settled in New York at the turn of the century were
hoping for a life in the goldene medine (golden land) that Europe did not offer them. The
immigrants of this period were young and had little contact with the substantial Yiddish literature
developing in Russia during the eighties and nineties. They were not intellectuals speaking to or
revolting from the shtetl world, though some of their styles reflect the Yiddish masters. They were
suppressed, not by intellectual stultification of medieval shtetl life, but by economic exploitation of
an industrial urban world. Consider the following themes from which you can construct a thesis
and write an interesting paper: The dream of America versus the reality, loss of and longing
for home, assimilation. And so forth. Use at least two texts from the anthology to compare and
contrast.
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UNIT SIX: Bearing Witness: Literature of the Holocaust
“Thou shalt not be a victim. Thou shalt not be a perpetrator. Thou shalt not be a bystander.”
E.Wiesel
Working Definition of the Holocaust: “The systematic, bureaucratic annihilation of the six
million Jews by the Nazi regime, and their collaborators as a central act of state during World War
II. In 1993, approximately nine million Jews lived in the 21v countries of Europe that would be
occupied by Germany during the war. By 1945, two out of every three of these European Jews had
been killed. Although Jews were primary victims, up to one half million Gypsies (Roma and Sinti)
and at least 250,000 mentally or physically disabled persons were also victims of Nazi genocide. As
Nazi tyranny spread across Europe from 1933-1945, millions of other innocent people were
persecuted and murdered. More than three million Soviet prisoners of war were killed because of
their nationality. Poles, as well as other Slavs, were targeted for slave labor, and as a result tens of
thousands perished. Homosexuals and others deemed “anti-social” were also persecuted and often
murdered. In addition, thousands of political and religious dissidents, such as communists,
socialists, trade unionists, and Jehovah’s Witnesses were persecuted for their beliefs and behaviors,
and many of these individuals died as a result of maltreatment.” From U.S. Holocaust Memorial
Museum, 1994.
Mon. Apr.25 and Wed. Apr. 27: Student Oral Reports --Submit written report
NOTE: Holocaust Remembrance Day is May 1 this year; it is determined by the
Hebrew calendar. As Academic Advisor to OCC’s Center for Peace, Genocide, and
Holocaust Studies, I spearhead the events for OCC’s week long program. We might
have an event one of the nights which you are required to attend.
Mon. May 2: Intro to Holocaust Read Primo Levi (1919-1987) Shema page 1165+;
Poems on handout: Nellie Sachs’ You Onlookers; O the Night of the Weeping
Children; Abraham Sutzkever Frozen Jews ; Sun of Auschwitz ; Paul Celan (19201970) Death Fugue page 1166 and Landscape (Handout)
Wed. May 4: Read Cynthia Ozick (b. 1928) The Shawl pages 896; Eli Weisel’s
Night (Norton)
Essay #4 on Jewish Immigrants due today
UNIT FIVE: Scribblers on the Roof: Storytelling in the 20th Century
Mon. May 9: Read Chaim Potok (b. 1929) From My Name is Asher Lev pages 987994; Bernard Malamud (1914-1986) The Magic Barrel pages 736-748
Wed. May 11: Philip Roth (b.1933) Eli the Fanatic; Optional: Read Introduction to
Heart of the Stranger: A Portrait of Lakewood’s Orthodox Community
Mon. May 16: Review of course. Last day of class.
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