The Holocaust - An Introduction

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Do curso por Tel Aviv University

The Holocaust - An Introduction (II): The Final Solution

240 ratings

Tel Aviv University

The Holocaust - An Introduction (II): The Final Solution

240 ratings

The Holocaust was an inconceivable historical event, which forever robbed Western culture of its innocence. As civilized human beings, we fail to understand how events of such horror could have taken place, and how an idea so inhumanly warped could have spread like wildfire through an entire continent, instigating the systematic annihilation of millions of Jews. This free online course was produced jointly by Tel Aviv University and Yad Vashem – the World Holocaust Remembrance Center. This course is the second of the two courses and covers three themes in its three weeks: Week 1: The Final Solution We’ll look at the cultural and mental processes that paved the way to the comprehensive and systematic mass murder of Jews in Europe – that is, the Final Solution. As part of this hard lesson we will discuss the various characteristics of the murder sites and death camps, and reveal selected aspects of the horror that occurred in them. Week 2: Jewish and Non-Jewish Responses to the Holocaust We will try to explore questions regarding knowledge about the application of the Final Solution, as well as a variety of responses and annihilation of victims, local populations and perpetrators. Week 3: The End of the War We will dedicate this lesson to the events that occurred in the last years of the Holocaust, as well as questions of memory, commemoration and future research. We strongly recommend that you register for "The Holocaust - An Introduction (I): Nazi Germany: Ideology, The Jews and the World" as well. Taking both parts of the course would enable you to obtain a fuller and more comprehensive knowledge about The Holocaust. This online course is offered in an innovative, multi-level format, comprising: Comprehensive lectures by leading researchers from Tel Aviv University and Yad Vashem. A wealth of voices and viewpoints presented by guest lecturers Numerous documents, photos, testimonies and works of art from the time of the Holocaust. Novel learning experience: Crowdsourcing – involving the learners themselves in the act of collecting and shaping information, via unique, exciting online assignments.

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The Free World, the last months, the Aftermath and the Implications

This lesson will describe the steps taken by Nazi Germany, with the Allied advance across Europe, to increase efforts to exterminate the Jews and to destroy all evidence of their crimes. We will deal with questions of memory and commemoration, examine the significance of the Holocaust for different audiences, and present the latest research in the field of Holocaust studies.

The Holocaust - An Introduction8:41

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Professor Havi Dreifuss, PhD
Professor
Havi Dreifuss is a historian of the Holocaust in Eastern Europe; senior lecturer in the Department of Jewish History at TAU; heads the Center for Research of Holocaust History in Poland, Yad Vashem.
Dr Na'ama Bela Shik, PhD
Director, Educational Technology Department, The International School for Holocaust Studies, Yad Vashem
The International School for Holocaust Studies, Yad Vashem

[MUSIC]

Welcome back, aside from the many historical questions still to

be answered or raised a few more general problems exist.

Which do not necessarily have a definite answer and thus stand before each and

every one of us.

How should we deal with the holocaust commemoration.

Once the last survivor dies?

Will the many testimonies collected,

until now be able to content future generation curiosity?

Are there are any cultural, academic, artistic and

literature limitation regarding the discourse about the murder of millions?

Or is it legitimate to raise any question about the Holocaust.

And use the Holocaust in every discourse.

Your answers and positions are as good as mine or any expert, and

you are more than invited to further discuss them among yourself in our forums.

In this course, we wanted to you become active participants, not only learn

more and widen your knowledge, but also discuss and question your own positions.

Actually, this is how this course deliberately was shaped.

In a unique cooperation of Tel Online and Yad Vashem.

When first approach was opportunity to use the new platform for general course about

the Holocaust, some fundamental principles were decided by us the course team,

including not only myself but Dr. Na'ama Shik you meet on a regular basis.

And Dennis our devoted developer.

Each and every one of them was deeply involved in

every detail presented to you here.

And this course is a product of true teamwork which I sincerely say,

I am more than privileged to be part of.

As such, we know

this complicated story of the Holocaust could not be limited to one researcher.

Or one field of expertise.

And thus, wanted you to meet as many voices and researchers as possible.

Some were others were presented by their books, and

we do hope that you, that Holocaust research and

knowledge is based on many works, written for years, by many great scholars.

Moreover, history is based on a constant discourse.

And thus, besides as I mentioned before, a few scholars helped us shape this

historical narrative presented to you here.

Professor Dr. And Dr.

David Zilberklang, read each and every idea brought to here.

Not all their good advice could be incorporated and the responsibility for

all that is being said, is mine.

But this constant discourse had an important in developing and

shaping this course.

Many times, especially in the MOOC, the most important ideas will be hard to

understand in the absence of photos, maps, and words.

Thus, in order to enable you to better understand,

even the most complicated historical events are notions.

You'll see and provided our team,

all that was needed to help you comprehend many different meanings of the Holocaust.

I'm stressing this, not only because those scholars deserved to be mentioned.

After so much work done behind the scenes, but

also to emphasize that history is based on a constant exchange of thoughts and ideas.

You see, history is not an exact science, unlike other fields of humanities,

is based on human understandings and perspectives of events.

As you saw, historical sources are analyzed and

compared In order the establish new incites regarding the past.

In this course, we wanted you to see, how history is being made and

what are the challenges in the craft of professional history writing.

This is why we presented you with many different sources and

tried to enable you to experience the difficulties of

arriving at established historical conclusion from historical sources.

Thus, we hope that exposing you to the Historian's Desk deepens your knowledge

regarding how information is constantly processed for us.

How and when, it is or was collected.

Can the information it contains really be verified.

And with what should it be confronted,

in order to provide us with a better understanding of a given event.

We wanted to promote your criticism,

regarding what historical sources revealed and what could be learned from them.

As you saw many times, a second look and an accurate historical context,

changed dramatically, what first was seen or thought to be seen and understood.

Being aware of the limitation of our knowledge, as well as the importance of

the critical reading is especially important due to the wide and

troubling phenomenon of Holocaust Denial.

Holocaust Denial.

Is sometimes very clear, yet

sometimes comes in the guise of innocent historical research.

Claiming that Nazi Germany and it's partners did not aim to kill Jews,

did not kill Jews, or did not kill so many Jews is Holocaust denial and

as such, outlawed in many countries.

Holocaust denials is not an innocent effort to achieve more knowledge.

Or expose unknown aspects of the Holocaust, but

a deliberated attempt to use or better abuse history

in order to promote ideological agendas, usually anti-semitic ones.

Yet the very fact that effort is being made to undermine or

question, what is well known, and well documented,

also emphasized the centrality of the holocaust in international discourse.

The recognition and the knowledge of the holocaust,

became an integral element in being an enlightened person.

Take as an example, the image chosen as the course icon.

The gates of Birkenau, as well as many other photos.

Auschwitz Gate, prisoner's clothes,

the yellow badge, the boy from the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, or even the number,

6 million, all become symbols of the Holocaust.

And bear with them, an invariable association of the Holocaust.

It is part of the cultural world and thus, pose a heavy and demanding burden.

But what can be done with this catastrophic event,

what should one do with all this horrifying knowledge?

With a story that contains a collapse of all moral values and endless suffering.

Is knowledge power?

Could such a thing, even be claimed after hearing so

much atrocities were implemented using modernity and knowledge?

I don't know if knowledge brings power.

Maybe it does and was just used a destructive power by so many,

maybe it doesn't but I do think, that knowledge demands responsibility.

Responsibility is drive from the knowledge,

as well as from watching Holocaust Survivors as written by Zeev Mankowicz

regarding Holocaust Survivors and their struggle to rebuild their lives.

They had every reason to surrender themselves to blind anger and

wanton destruction.

Such response, however were rare.

Whereas their suffering and losses were their point of departure, the survivors

devoted their best energies to the reconstruction of their personal like and

the redemption of their people without forgetting broader human responsibilities.

The speed and willingness with which they took up the burden of life and

civic responsibilities bear eloquent witness to their affirmation of life and

their undiminished humanity.

While the survivor refused to surrender their humanity, they created a norm.

With those who are not there cannot easily disregard.

As human beings, we tend to think, believe, hope that Gray clouds will

always scatter, despite the fact that many times they only become darker.

We dilute ourselves that progress hold promise to humanity and

that humans are good.

But the horrors of the Holocaust serve as a constant reminder

of humanity's unlimited, possible evil.

The Holocaust Carve those understandings into our human DNA.

Learning more about the Holocaust does not necessarily make you a better person.

It is what you will do with this knowledge that is important.

And this, my friend, was only an introduction.

[MUSIC]

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