I found this course very informative and followed a logical pattern. I knew a lot of the history of the Holocaust but never really thought of it the way the Professors present it and get us to explore the whys and hows. All the true facts are there and can't be denied even though there are those who live with the denial. To explore the Holocaust through witnesses, survivors, etc puts a whole new perspective on things. To understand Nazi Ideology and all it's lunacy was a true eye opener as I've dealt with more of the battles and always thought of the Holocaust as it happened and that was that. I thoroughly enjoyed this course and hope to find more or similar ones in the near future.

Just as a note, recently found out my ancestry probably goes back to the Ukraine, Jewish and family name of Lipsitz as in the lesson. Raised Roman Catholic but the family knew there were secrets which our father for some reason never divulged before his death in 1990, nor did our mother say anything even up to her demise in 2014. Interesting and now my personal investigation continues for the truth and the whys and hows also.

Thanks for an enjoyable time and take care.

The course content is very informative however the requirement to do assignments can be very tedious and waiting for grades could also be very frustrating. I strongly suggest to have quizzes as part of the assignment than writing long essays that need to be peer - reviewed and eventually to wait till one needs to contact support for grades.

This course is extraordinary. The 2 professors who present the material are both experts in their respective areas: Holocaust history and Comparative Literature. They present the material not only from a profound academic understanding, they are both children of the Holocaust. And so they convey the material in a deeply personal and human way as well. Using the Holocaust as a momentous backdrop, the professors challenge the students to examine important philosophical questions throughout the course. The books and movies discussed are absolutely wonderful. Finally, the relationship between Murray and Peter, that of deep trust and respect, contrast so powerfully with the inhumanity of the topic they present. This is one of the best courses that I have ever taken in my life, including my time during college.

Sensitive and erudite double-handed presentation by the two profs. Informative - it is of course meant to be educational.

From separate perspectives of literature and history they maintain an engaging tension that avoids personalisation whilst being clear that personal it really is.

I really could do with them supervising me as Phd student (an elderly on). I would sit happily at their feet.

Overall I enjoyed this course very much. Excellent choice of readings. The irony in this course in that Peter who has a slower paced presentation is very understandable compared to Murray whose presentation is much more dynamic but extremely repetitive. Everything Peter said was clear and logical. I had difficulty with what Murray was trying to say when he interpreted the literature. For example, he talked about how eroticism was related to violence but the only example he gave was a boy trying to impress a girl by fighting. He did not relate how eroticism and violence co-existed with the Nazis. He talked how people react when they are victims of violence but only related it to the boy pulling off the wings of a fly. He did not discuss how the Jewish people related to the violence. Did they take their suffering out on fellow Jews? I found it difficult to understand what he was trying to say. He talked in circles on the first "This Way to the Gas" lecture. He could have cut that lecture to one sentence: "Borowoski was not writing about himself when he wrote in the first person." He never explains why people would get pleasure from reading about the Holocaust. I listened carefully to everyone of his sentences and thought them basically repeating the same idea over and over in a different way. He talks in circles. The best part was when he read from the book. He talked in circles about shoes. Just say shoes were necessary for survival. It's like he's talking off the top of his head without doing any prep work.

Course lacks wider and real socio-political context of the XIX and XX century Central and Eastern Europe. Additionally, it is full of statements that are not supported by the historical facts.

There cannot be a better course to understand Holocaust than this. I had always been interested and curious to understand what compelled the seemingly anti-Semitic society to tolerate and even participate in the Holocaust. Step by step we understood the events unfolding in Eastern Europe- Poland, Romania, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Russia. At the same time there was detailed analysis of events unfolding in Belgium, Holland, Denmark and France. The detailed discussions about the literature on Holocaust is a BIG bonus. The assignments make you reflect on this terrible tragedy. After having taken the course i am now looking forward to reading literature , watching the documentaries and films not for pleasure of reading but for the pleasure of understanding.

The historical lectures were marvelous; the literature lectures only a little less so. But the most enjoyable was both extremely knowledgable professors.

If you want to truly understand the myriad background, the Nazi psychology and insanity, the witness of those who suffered the most, and the in-depth story of the Holocaust, this is an outstanding academic experience.

So far this course is fantastic. I have taken classes on this subject before however, the personal touches and the passion of both professors is contagious !! I recommend that all high school and secondary students should take this course, lest we forget and repeat these atrocities. Thank you both for a fascinating look at a terrible time in history!!

Shalom to all!!! Dear friends, Coursera, and the course organizers! Thank you so much for the opportunity to participate in an important topic for me as a Christian from an evangelical church, the Shoah... The course is multi-faceted, specific, and clear ..... Thank you especially for the financial support from Coursera, God bless you!

Great course divided by two gentlemen professors who lived through the era with personal experience. I loved the division of literature sources and historical events which knitted together harmoniously, and I liked also the lectures tremendously. Thanks. Dr John Quincy, BS, MBA, MLA, DDS, (+104 Coursera Courses and counting).

This Course makes me feels responsible of my position to stand up for my Jewish friends, Jewish brothers, Jewish ancestors and also for victims now and around the world. I feel compromised to stop any form of injustice or antisemitism and spread the voice. THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE SUCH A WONDERFUL LEARNING MATERIAL

One of the greatest experiences of my life in knowledge, is a course of self-improvement, faith, clinching my admiration for the Jews. If the intention of the perpetrators of the Holocaust is to deny the Shoah with terrifying acts that can not be talked, this course detracts the intention very high.

Even though I didn't write the papers for a certificate, this course was interesting and valuable. I have taken two other Holocaust courses, one historical and one film and literature; this course was the best of both and more.

Thank you to Peter and Murray for all of their insight and knowledge.

This is a very great course that the global community must have access too and study the

political and historic reasons that led to the horrors of the Holocaust.

Please keep this course available for study permanently on Coursera.

Thank you.

It was very interesting learning about the holocaust from two different perspectives. I also thought the selection of books, movies and other learning devices were very important in learning about the holocaust.

Lots of work, only 3 short papers, but lots of reading. Very interesting and enjoyable. Really went into depth with lots of history and literature discussed. Informative lectures.

The presentations raise vital questions , dis-aggregates historical experience and has generated interest in me to study the issues further . Many thanks to the Professors.

If I did not cite when rating this course, THANK YOU to both professors, Coursera, and all involved in making this valuable course available!! Rick

No guidance terrible course, not user-friendly wouldn't recommend this to anyone such a waste of time and money

Audit Only so I can not speak to the assignments or grading. However took it based off the experience of having taken Dr. Peter Kenez course on Russia. This course mixing both Literature (from those consider primary sources) and History is excellent. I enjoyed every lecture and have watch/read some of the additional material (like the 8hr documentary "Shoah" - which I didn't know existed until this course. And the poem "Death Fugue"...it is hauntingly beautiful and so sad. "Tod isnt ein Meister aus Deutschland"...while watching "Shoah" is line kept echoing in my head. I took the course as I am interested in History and the Holocaust and found this phenomenal. Experts in their fields and fun to watch them play off one another. Would recommend to everyone.

I really liked this course, it is the fourth I take on Coursera on the same topic and, nevertheless, I learned new things. The dynamic of confronting history with literature is very interesting and the two professors are charming despite the notable personality differences. Congratulations to both of you!

If you are someone interested in the topic or interested in history, society, or literature, please don't think twice before signing up for this course. The professors are great and the whole course is just as good as it could get! good luck!

I want to say how much I especially enjoyed Dr Kenez and his very clear and concise lectures on the historical aspects of the subject matter. Thank you very much. Richard Kilgore

i have took before courses about the holocaut but this was remarkably different and so very interesting!

professors are both incredible and i loved how they expose the subject