The Holocaust: An Introduction – A Free Online Course
Source: Yad Vashem
Registration is currently open for a free online course. In this new educational initiative, Yad Vashem together with Tel Aviv University, has created an online academic course on the Holocaust to be offered on a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) platform. The course, "The Holocaust: An Introduction" will be launched on January 24, 2016 on Coursera. The course was developed by the International School for Holocaust Studies at Yad Vashem and Yad Vashem International Institute for Holocaust Research together with Tel Aviv University. The project is led by Prof. Havi Dreifuss, Head of the Center for Research on the Holocaust in Poland at Yad Vashem's International Institute for Holocaust Research, and lecturer at Tel Aviv University.
The course offers an overview of the Holocaust, while delving into the central subjects of Holocaust research, such as: From "traditional" hatred to Nazi ideology; from democracy to totalitarianism; Nazi Germany and the Jews; Ostracism and separation; the development of the "Final Solution"; Jewish and non-Jewish responses to the Holocaust; and the final months of the war and its repercussions on the Holocaust of European Jews.
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 from the Yad Vashem Archives.
- Novel learning experience: Crowdsourcing – involving the learners themselves in the act of collecting and shaping information, via unique, exciting online assignments.
This course is designed for anyone with an interest in the Holocaust, including students, teachers, academics and policy-makers.