"At the Edge of the Abyss: the Holocaust of European Jewry"

This introductory course provides a thorough background to the Holocaust while focusing on new research findings. The course was prepared by staff from the International School for Holocaust Studies, and includes materials that have not previously been available in English, including diary entries, photographs, testimonies and documents. It allows teachers, educators and all those interested in the Holocaust an opportunity to broaden their knowledge on the subject, using the flexibility offered by online study: they may do so from the comfort of their homes, in their own time.

The course is divided into five sections, each consisting of ten lessons. The sections are:

1) Prewar Jewish Life in Europe. Covering the two hundred years prior to the Holocaust, this section provides a wide, multifaceted picture of Jewish life, including culture, Jewish politics, folklore, Jewish history and more.

2) Germany: 1918-1943. This section covers the rise of the Nazi Party, the establishment of the totalitarian state, anti-Jewish policy and responses of German Jewry in the face of racial persecution. It also follows the fate of prewar German Jewry through to its demise in 1943.

3) Jewish Life in the Ghettos. How did Jews struggle and cope on a daily basis as they became physically and socially isolated? An emphasis is placed on how Jews attempted to survive in the face of diminishing living space and means, rampant disease and hunger.

4) The “Final Solution”. The plan to expedite the total extermination of European Jewry. This section highlights the Nazi camp system and the world of the camps.

5) Commemoration and Remembrance. Various forms of the remembrance process and its shifts since the end of the Second World War. How are Jewish and non-Jewish victims memorialized? Examples of various art forms are given.

The course is modular, with each section standing as a separate unit from the others. Each of these sections will be uploaded separately (i.e. not in order of appearance). Eligible participants will receive a certificate from the International School for Holocaust Studies at Yad Vashem upon completion of each section.  Attendance fee for each section is $100 / 65€.

A qualified instructor from the International School will accompany the course. Lessons are updated online every two weeks. For each lesson, participants are required to submit an assignment, and may participate in the accompanying discussion forum. Assignments are submitted by email, as is the subsequent evaluation.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
For more questions, please see our FAQ section.

Target Audience

The course is for teachers, educators and all who are interested in expanding their knowledge on the Holocaust.

Certification

Eligible graduates will receive a certificate of completion for the course.

Registration

The next available section is "Commemoration and Remembrance", covering various approaches - within the Jewish and non-Jewish worlds - to the memorialization process. The course will commence June 2nd, 2008.

For a printable registration form for teachers outside of Israel, click here.

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