Of refugees, displaced people and wars
Sarah Cramsey, left, a visiting assistant professor of Jewish studies, leads students on a trip to the National World War II Museum in downtown New Orleans. “Even though the museum does not focus specifically on displaced people and refugees, I would like the students to see how it represents the human tragedy of the war and remember that the "smaller" story we are investigating in this class was just part of the greatest total war of all time,” Cramsey said. (Photo by Paula Burch-Celentano)
Sarah Cramsey is leading Tulane University students to examine how the world has reacted to refugees throughout history.
“How do we deal with the crisis of displaced people who are uprooted by conflict across space and time?” she asked. “It"s important to read about what has happened in the past, the successes and failures, and to understand the lessons.”
Cramsey, a visiting assistant professor in the Tulane University Jewish Studies Department, is teaching a small seminar titled Uprooted: Refugees, Displacement and Jewish Belonging after World War II.
As she prepared to lead her students on a field trip to the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, Cramsey said, “I would like my students to build a greater understanding about the overall upheaval caused by the war from a military perspective and see how the museum represents the civilian tragedy unfolding simultaneously as armies moved around the continent.”
Cramsey finished her PhD in modern European history with an emphasis in Jewish studies in 2014 and taught at the University of Californiaâ“Berkeley last year. Her book project looks at changing conceptions of Jewish belonging in Poland and Czechoslovakia during and after World War II.
“One thing that separates me from many of my colleagues is that I do not have Jewish, Polish or Czech heritage, so I came to these languages and my research as an adult thanks to the inspiration of fabulous teachers and a year of master"s training at Oxford.”
Last summer, she served as a program coordinator/historical consultant for National Geographic"s Summer Student Photography Program in Prague. She worked with four photography instructors and 35 high school students to capture innovative parts of the city and learn about Czech culture.
This fall, Cramsey also teaches a Jewish history survey course, Introduction to Jewish Civilization: From the Prophets to Jon Stewart. In the spring, Cramsey is teaching three courses: a 4000-level course, Living Together, Apart? Jews, Christians and Coexistence in Modern Poland, and two sections of Introduction to Jewish Civilization.
