Daily Schedule
UNIT 1: INTRODUCTION TO JEWISH RHETORICS/ORAL HISTORY/INDEXING
In this first unit, students will become familiar with the methods of rhetoric/composition, Jewish rhetorics, oral history, oral history indexing OHMS, transcript authentication, and havruta learning. Working with a havruta (study partner), students will authenticate a transcript and create a searchable index for an extant interview in the Jewish Kentucky Oral History Collection or related Jewish interview in the Nunn Center’s oral history collections, while learning more about Kentucky’s Jewish history and heritage.
Week 1: Introduction to the Course
Thurs. Jan 10
What is rhetoric? What is composition? What is oral history? Why put them together?
Introduction to the JHFE Jewish Kentucky Collection/Jewish Rhetorics
Interest Survey
Week 2: Introduction to Rhetoric, Oral History, and Havruta Studies
Tues. Jan 15
- Portelli, Alessandro. “What Makes Oral History Different” p. 32-43 (Canvas)
- Lucas, Brad E. and Margaret M. Strain. “Keeping the Conversation Going: The Archive Thrives on Interviews and Oral History.” Working in the Archives: Practical Research Methods for Rhetoric and Composition. Alexis E. Ramsey, Wendy B. Sharer, Barbara L’Eplattenier, Lisa S. Mastrangelo. SIUP: Carbondale, 2010. 259-278. (Canvas)
Interest Surveys Due
Oral Histories for Background Context Assigned
Please post your top three choices to listen to on the Canvas discussion forum by 9:00am. Use the indexes to guide your selections.
Jewish Kentucky Oral History Collection (general)
https://kentuckyoralhistory.org/catalog/xt7w6m33529z
Voices from Behind the Counter Collection
https://kentuckyoralhistory.org/catalog/xt763x83mz8c
Lexington Jewish Community Collection
https://kentuckyoralhistory.org/catalog/xt7kh12v6z3r
Recommended Further Reading
K’Meyer, Tracy E. “Oral History Method and Theory Today—A Review Essay with Commentary”
104 Register of the Kentucky Historical Society (Summer/Autumn 2006) 685-698
http://www.baylor.edu/oralhistory/index.php?id=23560
Baylor’s Introduction to Oral History Guide p. 1-4, 8, 9. 15-19 (Canvas/online)
Thurs. Jan. 17
- Moosnick, Nora Rose. “Postscript: On Being a Documentarian” p 181-189 (Canvas)
- Boyd, Doug, Janice W. Fernheimer and Rachel Dixon. “Indexing as Engaging Oral History Research: Using OHMS to “Compose History” in the Writing Classroom” Oral History Review42:2 (2015): 352-367. (Canvas)
- Introduce “chevruta” learning
Writing activity due to Canvas: Post a 100-150 word summary of the oral history you listened to and share five research questions it generates to the Canvas discussion forum, respond to at least one other person’s post.
Project 1 Prompt Distributed: Transcript Authentication, Indexing, and Reflection
OHMS accounts created/distributed
Recommended Further Reading
- Michael Bernard Donals and Janice. W. Fernheimer. “Introduction” Jewish Rhetorics: History, Theory, Practice. Brandeis University Press: Waltham, 2014.
- Fernheimer, Janice W. “Talmidai Rhetoricae: ‘Drashing Up Models and Methods for Jewish Rhetorical Studies.” Introduction to special issue of College English: “Composing Jewish Rhetorics” July 2010. 577-597.
- Fitzgerald, Lauren. “ ‘Torah is Not Learned But in a Group’: Collaborative Learning and Talmud Study.” Judaic Perspectives in Rhetoric and Composition.Andrea Greenbaum and Deborah Holdstein. Hampton Press, 2010: 23-42.
- Fernheimer, Boyd, Goldstein, and Dorpinghaus. “Sustainable Stewardship: A Collaborative Model for Engaged Oral History Pedagogy, Community Partnership, and Archival Growth” Oral History Review 2018 pp 1-21
Week 3: Focus on Oral History Transcript Authentication Methods
Tues. Jan 22
Post your top 3 choices from Jewish Kentucky Collection to index to the appropriate forum on Canvas by 9am. Choose from the list below: To be updated
Students
- Nunn Center Transcript Authentication Guide 1-35 (Canvas)
- Boyd, Price, and Botz “Indexing Interviews in OHMS: An Overview” p. 1-17 (CANVAS)Bring questions about transcript authentication/indexing process!
Students
Alex Rosenzweig –UK undergraduate engineering major, Jewish Heritage Fund for Exellence Jewish Studies minor, member of UK Hillel, originally from New York, entrepreneur
Maya Craemer—current undergraduate at Vanderbilt, originally from Lexington, KY and member of Temple Adath Israel (Reform Congregation)
Gerald Benjamin—class of 197??, now lives in Atlanta, successful entrepreneur, UK Marching Band member, accountant, discusses Jewish communal involvement in Cleveland, Ohio and Atlanta, Georgia
UK Faculty with Jewish communal Connections
Raphael Finkel- Professor of Computer Science at UK, also teaches Yiddish language and involved with Yiddish language learning nationally, gifted hazzan (congregational singer) leads services often at Congregation Ohavay Zion in Lexington, KY, member of UK Jewish Studies faculty—moved to Lexington from Wisconsin, originally from Chicago
Lexington Jewish Communal Leaders
Lowell Nigoff—long-time community leader in Temple Adath Israel Lexington, he managed their archives before they were donated to UK Special Collections, discusses Israel
Sue Ezrine- professional, long-time member and active participant in Ohavay Zion Synagogue, active on the chevra kadisha (committee that prepares the dead for burial), discusses kashrut, work/life balance
Kathy Grossman—past president of the Ohavay Zion Synagogue, active in Hadassah, discusses work-life balance and conversion to Judaism (her husband Mike Grossman was also interviewed for the collection)
Recommended Further Reading
Boyd, Doug. “OHMS: Enhancing Access to Oral History for Free.” Oral History Review (2013): 95-106 (CANVAS or online)
“OHMS Getting Started” p. 1-21 (CANVAS)
Thurs. Jan 24
Draft Transcription authentication due to Canvas, Peer review
Bring questions about indexing/authentication process
Week 4: Indexing and Interpreting Oral History
Tues. Jan 29
Read through the index for Madaleine Abramson
https://kentuckyoralhistory.org/catalog/xt7f7m041n26
(Click, access interview to get to the index)
Discuss model index (10-15 min)
OHMS Tutorials—view ALL (about 1.5 hours of viewing)
http://www.oralhistoryonline.org/new-video-tutorial-using-ohms-to-index-oral-history/
Begin working on indexes with partners
Weissbach, “Kentucky’s Jewish History in National Perspective: The Era of Mass Migration” p. 255-273
Dembitz, “Jewish Beginnings in Kentucky” p.99-101 (Canvas)
Thurs. Jan.31
Jewish Kentucky Contextual Readings
History of Ohavay Zion Synagogue
History of Temple Adath Israel Lexington
Mitenbuler, Reid. “The Jewish Origins of Kentucky Bourbon” Atlantic Monthlyhttps://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/05/the-jewish-origins-of-kentucky-bourbon/392408/
Recommended Further Reading
Davis, Marni. Jews and Booze: Becoming American in the Age of Prohibition
Week 5: Focus on Jewish Kentucky: Holocaust Survivors, Synagogues, Coalfields
Opportunity for Extra Credit: Feb. 4, 7pm Boone Center
“Diversity and Democracy: Teaching Life Writing to Jewish and Palestinian Israelis”
Presented by Ilana Blumberg
Tues. Feb. 5
- Donahue, Arwen. “Forward and Introduction to ‘This is Home Now: Kentucky’s Holocaust Survivors Speak” 1-25
- Weissbach, Lee Shai. “Introduction and The Formation of Kentucky’s Jewish Congregations” 1-35
- Weissbach, Lee Shai. “Discovering Kentucky’s Synagogues: An Essay on Bibliography and Methodology.” 123-146.
Last 15 minutes of class—work in partners on indexing
Recommended Further Reading
Shevitz, Amy. Jewish Communities on the Ohio River: A History. Lexington: University of Kentucky Press, 2007.
Recommended further reading/viewing
Judaism, an Introduction
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ancient-art-civilizations/judaism-art/a/judaism-an-introduction?fbclid=IwAR3iYA9bvdPFZq6zzDMgoV6To5v106cxVIxGjLl_rWZc4HHFY7eUlaHejBw
by Dr. Jessica Hammerman and Dr. Shaina Hammerman
Introduction to Jewish Beliefs (bimbam)
https://www.bimbam.com/judaism-101/
Judaism 101 by Mr. Finlayson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auM94_yDD40
BBC’s introduction to Judaism
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/judaism/
Thurs. Feb. 7
Weiner, Deborah “From Shtetl to Coalfield: The Migration of East European Jews to Appalachia” p. 1-47
Nathan–Kazis “Which Side Were We On? Kentucky Slavery, Mine Wars, and Segregation”
“My Hunt for the Big Jew of the Cumberland Gap”
https://forward.com/culture/311173/looking-for-the-big-jew-of-middlesboro-kentucky/
Encyclopedia of Southern Jewish Communities: Harlan/Middlesboro
Recommended Further Reading
Weiner, Deborah. “Coalfield Jewish Communities” and “Conclusion” 148-190
Week 6: Focus on Peer Review and Havruta Collaboration
Opportunity for Extra Credit: Feb. 11, 7 pm Boone Center
“Jean Carroll: The Beginning of Jewish Female Standup Comedians”
presented by Grace Overbeke, phd student at Northwestern University, Luckens Prize Winner
Tues. Feb 12
Project 1.1 Indexing (due in OHMS) and Index Summary Due to Googledocs
Reflective Essay 1: Indexing due to Canvas/hard copy
Peer Review
Final Transcript Authentication Due
Final Omeka/Annotated Bibliography/ Original Oral History Interview Assignment Prompts Distributed
Thurs. Feb 14
No class.
Research Questions due to Canvas Forum
Use this time to brainstorm final project ideas, research questions.
UNIT 2: ARCHIVAL RESEARCH METHODS: DIVING INTO THE ARCHIVES/LEARNING BY DISCOVERY AND “DOING” (OR “DIGGING”!)
In this unit, students will continue to develop their skills in composing history and making it accessible, this time by discovering and selecting archival artifacts to help them and a wider, public contextualize and better understand the content discussed in the interviews students indexed. Additionally, students will develop research methods in primary, archival sources, working specifically with the holdings in UK Special Collections focused on Jewish Kentucky. Students will identify appropriate archival materials: memos, letters, photographs, and other documents/artifacts to digitize for inclusion on the Jewish Kentucky digital repository http://www.nunncenter.net/jewishkentucky/. The goal is enable this repository to grow, and to include items that will help publicly display key elements from the interviews indexed. Students will also identify and digitize additional material to be included in student-curated Omeka exhibits which focus on a particular line of research inquiry.
* Students will have the opportunity to publicly present their research at the Kentucky Jewish History Symposium 2: April 25 11:00-4:00 pm.
Week 7: Focus on Archival Discovery
Tues. Feb. 19
- Students sign up for special collectionsaccounts
- Speed Team—Collaborative Invention Questions–??
- Weissbach, Lee Shai. “Discovering Kentucky’s Synagogues: An Essay on Bibliography and Methodology.” 123-146.
- History of Temple Adath Israel Lexington
- History of Ohavay Zion Synagogue Lexington
- Gold, David. “On Keeping a Beginner’s Mind” Working in the Archives: Practical Research Methods for Rhetoric and Composition. Alexis E. Ramsey, Wendy B. Sharer, Barbara L’Eplattenier, Lisa S. Mastrangelo. SIUP: Carbondale, 2010.42-45. (Canvas)
- Moretnsen, Peter. “ I Had a Hunch” Working in the Archives: Practical Research Methods for Rhetoric and Composition. Alexis E. Ramsey, Wendy B. Sharer, Barbara L’Eplattenier, Lisa S. Mastrangelo. SIUP: Carbondale, 2010. 45-47. (Canvas)
- Enoch, Jessica. “Striking Metaphors” Working in the Archives: Practical Research Methods for Rhetoric and Composition. Alexis E. Ramsey, Wendy B. Sharer, Barbara L’Eplattenier, Lisa S. Mastrangelo. SIUP: Carbondale, 2010 152-155. (Canvas)152-155.
Recommended Further Reading
“Jews in the Louisville Community: Creating Institutions” 83-104
“Jews in the Louisville Community: Family and Business Life” 104-131
Weissbach, Les Shai. Jewish Life in Small-Town America. New Have and London: Yale University Press, 2005.
Thurs. Feb. 21
Meet in special collections
Work in teams, discover, digitize, delve deeper
Digital Archivist Sarah Dorpinghaus Gives Overview of Special Collections Holdings and Procedures
Finding Guide Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass Collection
Finding Guide Temple Adath Israel Lexington Collection
Archival Research How-To
Week 8: Exploring and Expanding the Archive(s): Conducting Interviews and/as Research
Tues. Feb. 26–Meet in Ford Room of Special Collections
Workshop: Introduction to Metadata and Creating Usable Digital Documents in Omeka
Explore the Archives/ Digitize select documents
*Note we will continue to meet in and explore Special Collections, but we will also begin to learn about and prepare for conducting interviews.
UNIT 3: CONVERSATION AS KNOWING: INTERVIEWING AS RESEARCH METHOD/PRESENTING RESEARCH PUBLICLY
In this unit, students will continue to develop their skills in composing history and making it accessible, this time by working with a havruta to indentify, schedule, and conduct an original oral history interview with a Lexington Jewish community member; this interview will become part of the JHFE collection (and later indexed by future UK students). Prior to conducting the interview, students will work with each other and JHFE project leaders Drs. Fernheimer and Goldstein to develop an interview protocol based on the project’s general protocol and tailored to their specific interviewee.
Thurs. Feb 28
Meet in Special Collections–Explore
Zinkham, Helen. “Finding and Researching Photographs” Working in the Archives: Practical Research Methods for Rhetoric and Composition. Alexis E. Ramsey, Wendy B. Sharer, Barbara L’Eplattenier, Lisa S. Mastrangelo. SIUP: Carbondale, 2010. 119-134. (Canvas)
Tirabassi, Katherine E. “Journeying into the Archives: Exploring the Pragmatics of Archival Research” Working in the Archives: Practical Research Methods for Rhetoric and Composition. Alexis E. Ramsey, Wendy B. Sharer, Barbara L’Eplattenier, Lisa S. Mastrangelo. SIUP: Carbondale, 2010. 169-180.
Fitzgerald, Katherine. Interview. “ ‘I’m Open to Whatever I Discover.’ “Working in the Archives: Practical Research Methods for Rhetoric and Composition. Alexis E. Ramsey, Wendy B. Sharer, Barbara L’Eplattenier, Lisa S. Mastrangelo. SIUP: Carbondale, 2010 248-250.
Interviewees selected and contacted for scheduling
Week 9: Focus on Research and Presentation:
Tues. March 5
Meet in Special Collections
Thurs. March 7
Project 2a: Digitized Annotated Bibliographies due in Omeka with Metadata
Peer review
MEET IN REGULAR CLASSROOM
Interview Protocol Templates Distributed/discussed
Interviewing Workshop–How-to!
Select a section from the interview you indexed where follow-up Q/A didn’t go as well as you think it could have: Role play alternatives
Instructor comments Indexing 1.1 returned
Confirm Interviews scheduled
Week 10: Spring BREAK March 11-15
Week 11: Focus on Research and Contextualization
Tues. March 19
Interview Questions Protocols Due
Work in class on Indexing Revisions
Thurs. March 21
Class time to Revise Interview Protocols
Team Invention Exercise: Begin work on Final Omeka Project Plan
UNIT 3: SHARING RESEARCH WITH THE PUBLIC: POSTER PRESENTATIONS/ DIGITAL CURATION AND EXHIBITION
In this unit, students will continue to develop their skills in composing history and making it accessible, this time by discovering , selecting, and sharing their archival and interview insights with a broader public. Students will present their posters to the Kentucky Jewish History Symposium’s public audience on April 25, 2018, and will create a full digital exhibit curated in the Omeka extension/plugin of OHMS being developed by the Nunn Center team.
Week 12: Focus on Final Project Research/Planning
Tues. March 26
Omeka Project Work-Plan due to Canvas
Peer review
Opportunity for Extra Credit: Wed. March 27, 6pm Worsham Cinema in Gatton Student Center(in the new UK student center)
Film screening of The Ancient Law with live music accompaniment from Alicia Svigals (of the Klezmatics) and Donald Sosin, part of the Gatton Student Center Cinema Program
Thurs. March 28—Meet in King Library Special Collections
Final project research
Project 1.2 Revised Indexes with a Minimum of 2 Archival Links due
Week 13: Focus on Team Collaboration, Arrangement, and Style
Tues. April 2—
Workday –Meet in Special Collections
Oral History Interviews, still images, and release forms due to Dr. Jan and Kopana Terry
Thurs. April 4
Work day—Meet in Special Collections
Week 14: Focus on Revision, Collaboration, Memory, Delivery
Opportunity for Extra Credit: April 8, 1:30-3:15pm
International Symposium Comparative Perspectives on #MeToo: Panel 2 “Visibility, Public, Feminist Mobilization B”
Dr. Ruth Preser (Tel-Hai Academic College, Israel), How To Be Feminist in Public, UK Student Center
Tues. April 9—
Continue working on Omeka digital documents, final projects
Omeka Storyboards due
Interviewing and Archival Research Reflective Essays due
How-to Omeka Exhibit Workshop
Final Oral Presentation Prompt Distributed
Final Reflective Essay Prompt Distributed
Opportunities for Extra Credit:
April 9, 9:30-11:15 am
International Symposium Comparative Perspectives on #MeToo: “Panel 4 Ethics, Law, Institutional and Community Responses A”
Dr. Keren McGinity (Hebrew College, USA), #GamAni: How #MeToo Inspired the American Jewish Community to Look Inward
April 10, 7pm Boone Center
“Jewish Continuity and the #meToo Movement”
Dr. Keren McGinty
Thurs. April 11
Work on final project.
Instructor Feedback Indexing 1_2 Distributed
Revised Annotated Bibliographies due in Omeka with Corrected Metadata
Instructor feedback on Omeka storyboard distributed
Week 15: Focus on Final Projects
April 16
Work on final projects, presentations, indexing.
April 18
Rough cuts of Final projects due
Peer Review
Week 16
Tues. April 23 Evaluations
Presentations Rehearsal (graded)
Essay 1_3 Revised Indexes and Index Summaries Due
Thurs. April 25
Presentation of final projects
Tues. April 30 5pm
Project 1.4 Final indexes and summaries due
Final projects due in Omeka/Final Reflective Essays due to Canvas/Dropbox; Final Indexes due to OHMS, Final Headnote Summaries due to Canvas