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Study Abroad

USA History & Jewish Studies in Germany

For more information, please visit the Jewish Spaces in Germany USA Online course page for more information and links.

 

 

Program Dates:
Departure Date for Europe: July 12, 2021
Start Date: July 13, 2021
End Date: July 29, 2021

 

Program Overview

This course will take students to several metropolitan areas in the Federal Republic of Germany in order to detail the complicated history of Jews who lived in the German lands since the Middle Ages. The first half of the trip will focus on the Rhineland and Frankfurt am Main, the areas where Jews first created a permanent presence in the region. Students will visit the cities of Mainz, Speyer, and Worms and will look at the sites of Jewish life, including old synagogues and cemeteries. In Frankfurt, we will visit the Judengasse, one of the oldest Jewish Ghettos in Europe, and students will learn about Jewish life in Central Europe through the Early Modern Period. One of the more interesting stories will focus on the Fettmilch Uprising (1612-1616) and the complicated nature of Jewish servitude in the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation.

During the second half of the tour, students will continue learning about Jewish life in the German states, including stopping in Kassel, home of the first Jewish consistoire in the Napoleonic Kingdom of Westphalia, in order to learn about early 19th century Jewish life and their fight for emancipation. From Kassel, we will then go to Hannover and Hamburg to learn about Jewish life in these regions and visit various sites related to the Holocaust, including Bergen-Belsen. After leaving Hamburg, students will visit Berlin and will be immersed in learning about both Jewish and German history. Students will visit many museums and memorials to discuss 20th Century German and Jewish history, including, of course, the Holocaust. Students will also visit the memorial at Ravensbrück, the only all-women’s concentration camp.

Throughout this Study Abroad, students will be introduced to traditional Jewish concepts and to the organization of Jewish communities. Students will also learn about the “Transformation of German Jewry” (to borrow David Sorkin’s title) from subjects of the Holy Roman Emperor into citizens in a united German Empire. Students will not only learn the “lachrymose” Jewish history associated with the Holocaust, but will learn of the multifarious contributions of Jews in these various communities to German society and German culture. By walking around and traveling across Germany, students will be asked to consider “what is a Jewish space?” and how this was defined in various eras, as well as the reactions to such spaces. Students will also be exposed to more than traditional sites of Holocaust remembrance, as it is my contention that in order to understand the magnitude of Nazi perfidy, one must fully understand the large and small spaces that were used to ostracize, vilify, persecute, and eventually, murder Jews and other Germans.


Course Information:
Course Title: Jewish Spaces in Central Europe

Course Number: HY/JHS 390 - no prerequisites
Credit Hours: 3

Course Number: IS 393 - no prerequisites
Credit Hours: 3

Students may also arrange to take these courses as Independent Studies (usually HY/JHS/IS494 designation), though course requirements may vary.  All courses may also count for the Museum Studies (MUM) minor, though assignments may be altered to conform to MUM program standards.

Program Costs:
The cost of the USA History & Jewish Studies in Germany program is $5,499. Program costs include:
Tuition for six (6) credit hours
All program-related, in-country transportation
All program-related housing: Shared occupancy in centrally located hotels/hostels (Single accommodations are available for an additional charge)
All program-related excursions listed in the itinerary
International health insurance & emergency assistance
Airport pickup for those who arrive on the assigned day and time
Daily breakfasts
A welcome and departure dinner in-country


***Please note: International airfare is not included in the price of the program. The Office of International Education will reserve and facilitate flights on behalf of all students who would like assistance. You should budget additional funds for international airfare, meals other than breakfasts and specified dinners, and personal expenses such as souvenirs or independent travel, based on individual spending habits.

Costs are based on anticipated exchange rates and enrollment and are subject to change. Program items may be changed in lieu of a price increase. Price may vary for graduate students.​
Scholarships and Financial Aid

The first 6 USA students who commit to the program and complete a scholarship application will receive a USA Study Abroad scholarship of $500. Students must complete the "Study Abroad Conditional Scholarship" application in JagSpot.

Additional Scholarships:

One of the unique aspects of this program is that we should have scholarships available for all students to help defray the costs, thanks to many generous individuals in the Mobile community. Once final numbers for the trip are determined, we will divide the funds equally amongst students, so that everyone has some defrayed costs.


Most students can apply their current financial aid (scholarships, grants, and/or loans) to the cost of the program. USA Study Abroad scholarships are available to all USA student participants who submit an application and meet minimum program requirements. Additional scholarships for study abroad are available, but unlike institutional scholarships, you need to seek out these opportunities. For a list of scholarship opportunities please visit:
https://www.southalabama.edu/departments/studyabroad/scholarships.html and schedule an appointment with a study abroad advisor.

Financial Aid Awards: If you are interested in applying for or reviewing your financial aid award to use towards this program, please contact Stephanie Roote (sroote@southalabama.edu) in the Financial Aid Office as soon as possible.

Payment Schedule and Important Deadlines
Space on this program is limited. You can reserve a spot in the program by hitting the "Apply Now" button and completing the online program application. Once accepted, you can confirm your place in the program by paying the program deposit of $350.

Application Deadline: March 15, 2021.
A program deposit of $350.00 is due when you confirm your place in the program. The deposit is applied toward the cost of the program and must be made no later than the application deadline.

Final Payment Deadline: TBA

More information related to payments and deadlines is provided within your study abroad application: The Financial Agreement, IMPORTANT: Faculty-Led Program Deposit and Payment Information, and Summarized Cost and Payment Sheet.

Refund Policies
Refunds for Program Fees: Program fees are refundable only in the event of cancellation of the program and are based on recoverable expenses. After the application deadline, OIE will begin to pay program costs (housing, travel, booking, etc.) on your behalf. If an expense is incurred on your behalf, you will be responsible for paying any program-related expenses regardless of your participation in the program. All payments should be considered non-refundable and any requests for consideration of refunds based on extenuating circumstances (medical, etc…) must be made in writing and will be considered on a case by case basis.

Refunds for Program Deposits:
$300 is refundable should you chose to withdraw from the program BEFORE the application deadline.
Should you chose to withdraw from the program AFTER the application deadline you must do so in writing to OIE and your deposit will not be refunded.

For additional information, please contact:
Dr. David A. Meola
Bert & Fanny Meisler Assistant Professor in History and Jewish Studies
Director, Jewish & Holocaust Studies Program
dameola@southalabama.edu

and/or

You can book an advising appointment with a study abroad advisor at:
https://www.southalabama.edu/departments/studyabroad/advising.html

 

Special Thanks:
This program is also being supported by a small subsidy from the Gulf Coast Center for Holocaust and Human Rights Education, located in Mobile, Alabama. Scholarships for students are provided by many generous individuals in the Mobile community, including Arlene Mitchell and Bert Meisler, and the Mobile Area Jewish Federation.