Uta Larkey's Courses

German 259

Prerequisite: GER 260/HS 229/JS 246 (Lit.&Film on the Holocaust), currently or previously enrolled students are eligible and JS 245 (The Holocaust). P/NP 1.5 credits

Course description

You are the last generation to personally know a Holocaust survivor. This privilege is connected with the responsibility of carrying memory into the future.  You will bring history to life and learn about Jewish communities and life stories before, during, and after WWII. You will carry and retell the survivors' stories to others. This is one of the most meaningful ways to pay tribute to the legacy of the Holocaust to "never forget."

Training in interviewing techniques and story telling will be provided by Dr. Steve Salzberg and Jennifer Rudick, respectively.  Three students will be assigned to each survivor to ensure that the survivor’s story will continue to be told. Each group will meet with the survivor on three separate occasions, for a total of six to eight hours.  Each session has a focus:

•          Life before WWII

•          Experiences during the war years

•          liberation and the aftermath, coming to America & life today

Each session will be videotaped, and every student and the survivor receive a copy of each tape.

While we will try to follow the schedule as close as possible, we do ask you to be flexible.

You need to establish the initial contact to the survivor by phone, and coordinate the dates with your small group. You are responsible for making your own travel arrangements to wherever your group and the survivor have agreed to meet (if not on campus).

Urgent

Please keep lines of communication open. Do not hesitate to call me if you have any question, experience stress and/or discomfort! It is extremely important to be in touch with one’s own thinking and feeling, and to share it with one of us.

Course goals

•          To apply knowledge about the Holocaust in oral history interviews

•          To engage with Holocaust survivors, listen attentively and process information and emotions

•          To conduct and videotape oral history interviews

•          To retell parts of the survivors’ life stories for different age groups

Syllabus

January 28                    Introduction

                                    Video: Oral History interview

February 4                   Meet with story teller Jennifer Rudick

February 11                 Meet with interviewer Dr. Salzberg

                                    Arrange first phone conversation with survivor; set up                                                    interview #1

                                    INTERVIEW #1 (to be scheduled between 2/13-2/20)

February 18                 Workshop#1 with Jennifer Rudick

February 25                 Processing session       

                                    Set up interview #2

March 3                       Meet with Dr. Salzberg to discuss first interview           

                                    INTERVIEW #2 (to be scheduled between 2/25-3/8)

March 10                     Meet with Dr. Salzberg to discuss interview # 2

                                    Set up interview #3

March 13-20                Spring Break

March 24                     Processing session

                                    INTERVIEW # 3 (to be scheduled between 3/22-29)

March 31                     Workshop # 2 with Jennifer Rudick

April 7                          Practice session

April 14                        Practice session

April 21                        Practice session

April 28                        No session (?)

April 27, 29                  In-class performance

May 5                          Conclusion, wrap-up session

Site Navigation:

-Copyright 2004, Uta Larkey-