Syllabus LOYNO

 

Women & Holocaust Memory Syllabus Spring 2025 Professor Naomi Yavneh Klos

More than two million women were murdered in the Holocaust: Because Nazi ideology viewed women generally as agents of fertility, it demanded the extermination of Jewish women to prevent the rise of future generations. Drawing on diaries, testimony excerpts, photographs, poetry, works of art, and documents such as letters, marriage certificates, Visas, etc., we will consider the experience of women in the Holocaust. Although we will examine the historical record of what took place, we will create space for unique female voices from a variety of perspectives, such as young girls, mothers, social workers, musicians, seamstresses, and spies. We will also read excerpts from Anne Frank’s diary, poems and other writings of Hannah Szenes, and look at music and art from Terezin, including music by Ilse Weber.

To enhance their learning, students will choose between two Service Learning projects:

• Completing oral history interviews of the children and grandchildren of New Orleans Holocaust survivors, to be archived at the Museum of Southern Jewish History, or
• Helping to curate an exhibition of primary source documents from the Holocaust, to be displayed at the JCC (April 10) and the World War II Museum on Yom Hashoah (April 22).

About the Professor:
Dr. Naomi Yavneh Klos
Emmett M. Bienvenu SJ Distinguished Chair in Humanities
Professor of Languages & Cultures
Office: 305 Bobet
Email: yavneh@loyno.edu
Phone: 813-728-3868

My name is Naomi Yavneh Klos; please call me Dr. YAHVneh. My office is 305 Bobet, but I am not always there. The best way to reach me is by email. In emergencies or for urgent matters, you may text or call. I will respond to emails within 24 hours, except from 5 p.m. Friday through Saturday sundown, during which I do not check email.

Required Books:

• Most readings are available through Canvas.
• Doris L. Bergen, War and Genocide: A Concise History of the Holocaust (4th edition).
• Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl (available as an ebook or for purchase).
• Required online resources include the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, Yad Vashem, and The Anne Frank House.
• Students are expected to engage with additional scholarly sources beyond these references.

Course Requirements:

• Attendance (10%) & Participation (10%)
• Final Project (15%)
• Service Learning Project (25%)
• Choose one:
• Document Exhibit:
• Research & present a historic document (written/oral)
• Collaborate on exhibit design
• Create an exhibit catalogue
• Train and serve as a docent
• Oral History:
• Conduct, record, edit, and transcribe survivor family interviews
• Diary (15%): Handwritten unless otherwise accommodated. Must be brought daily.
• Reflections (15%): Short essays (400-750 words) submitted via Canvas.
• Final Reflection (10%): In-person final exam, May 6.

Reflection Guidelines: Reflections should be focused, analytical, and well-written. They must describe and examine an experience or material, offer specific examples, and discuss broader implications. Grammar, structure, and clarity are essential. Consult OWLS (Loyola Writing Center) for feedback and extra credit.

Participation and Absence Policy:

• 3 excused absences allowed without penalty.
• Contact the professor in advance of any expected absences.
• Medical/emergency absences: Notify via email as soon as possible.
• If sick, do not attend class. Get notes from classmates and follow up with the professor.
• Participation means being engaged, prepared, and respectful. Note-taking by hand is encouraged.

Grading Scale: A = 94-100, A- = 90-93
B+ = 87-89, B = 84-86, B- = 80-83
C+ = 77-79, C = 74-76, C- = 70-73
D = 65-69, F = 0-64

Trigger Warning and Self-Care: This course covers challenging topics such as antisemitism, racism, sexual violence, and genocide. Resources for emotional support are available through Canvas. Please take care of yourself and communicate as needed.

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Weekly Schedule:

Week 1 (Jan. 14 & 16): Introduction

• What is Judaism? Who are Jews? What is feminist Holocaust memory?
• Assignment: Holocaust Tool Kit; readings on Jewish life pre-WWII

Week 2 (Jan. 21 & 23): Antisemitism and Propaganda

• Read: Waxman, Ofer, Bergen (Intro, "Dry Timber")
• Assignment: Profiles of Jewish teenagers; diary reflection

Week 3 (Jan. 28 & 30): Nazi Women; Jewish Women

• Due Jan. 26: Reflection Essay
• Reading: Bergen Chapter 3, Ofer Chapters 1 & 5
• Jan. 27: Dr. Patricia Hall at Touro Synagogue
• Class topics: Kinder, Kuche, Kirche; anti-Jewish legislation

Week 4 (Feb. 3 - 6): Music and Memory

• Feb. 3: Patricia Hall lecture
• Feb. 4: In-class Q&A
• Feb. 6: Kristallnacht

Week 5 (Feb. 11 & 13): Hidden Children & Kindertransport; Oral History Workshop

Week 6 (Feb. 18 & 20): Anne Frank; Introduction to Documents

Week 7 (Feb. 25 & 27): Anne Frank Continued

Week 8 (March 3-7): Mardi Gras Break

Subsequent Topics (Dates TBA):

• Week 9: The Ghettos
• Week 10: The Camps
• Week 11: Liberation
• Weeks 12–13: Holocaust Memory
• April 10: Alon Shaya event at JCC (evening)
• April 17: Easter break (no class)
• April 22: Yom HaShoah at WWII Museum
• April 24: Nuremberg & Postwar Justice
• Week 15 (April 29 & May 1): Final Presentations
• Week 16 (May 6): Final Reflection Exam