The Holocaust, carried out by Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany before and during World War II, was the most heinous organized crime of the 20th century, if not all of human history. This course will mix lecture and discussion. While there will be no required texts, a list of suggested background and preparatory readings will be provided. We will address a number of important topics, especially the following: 1. How the years leading up to the Holocaust and centuries of prejudice and discrimination against Jews set the stage for the Nazis’ deeds; why America and the rest of the world were slow to act on evidence of atrocities prior to the war; how the Nazis organized and carried out the Holocaust; individual people of that time period; personal experiences of survivors and rescuers; and how the Holocaust is viewed, discussed, and taught today.

This course will combine lecture with class discussions.