It is often asked why jews did not make greater attempts at resistance. It did little to stop the nazi apparatus from implementing the mass murder of the jews. Jewish commitments, be they communal, national or religious. List of books and articles about jewish resistance during. In beyond courage, doreen rappaport documents the untold stories of thousands of european jews who fought back against the nazi machine during the holocaust. Jewish resistance against the holocaust by robert z. The impact of armed jewish resistance should not be exaggerated. Its compelling stories reflect the geographic diversity of europes jewish communities, and represent several types of resistance. Collomps approach reframes the american jewish response to the holocaust from the bottomup, showing how one subset of this population mobilized, not only out of ethnoreligious solidarity but in the name of european socialist and labor movements. In other countries, notable individuals or communities created resistance during the holocaust which helped the jews escape some concentration camps. In this lesson, students reflect on the holocaust from the point of view of those who actively resisted nazi persecution. The history of the jewish partisans in lithuania and white russia during the nazi occupation, 19401945 eckmann, lester and lazar, chaim shengold publishers, 1977. Resistance during the holocaust antidefamation league. Jewish partisans in the resistance facing history and ourselves.
Irena sendler, a polish catholic social worker assigned to the warsaw ghetto, saved the lives of over 2,500 jewish children. Jewish resistance during the holocaust nazi persecution and mass murder of the jews gave rise to jewish resistance movements that acted against the third reich within the occupied areas of europe. Later, as the jews were deported and incarcerated in the ghettos of poland, they were determined to maintain their humanity and personal integrity in the face of the concerted nazi. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. The untold story of jewish resistance during the holocaust doreen rappaport. In the initial years of nazi rule individual jews and jewish representatives protested against defamation and discrimination. The jewish men forced to help run auschwitz history. How jews organized themselves in order to survive and defy their enemy is an important but still neglected piece of history. By shining a spotlight on individuals and their involvement in given situations kristallnacht, deportations, guerrilla resistance, among othersthroughout europe, she. But one should not confuse partisan resistance to the german military effort and the german occupation of europe, on the one hand, with jewish resistance, on the other, even though the two sometimes overlapped, as in the case of sutin, who fled from certain death as. During world war ii the bund was active in the underground resistance and some.
Steven katz, professor of jewish holocaust studies at boston university and former director of the elie wiesel center for jewish studies, introduces the best. Jewish resistance during the holocaust by herbert druks author visit amazons herbert druks page. Jewish medical resistance in the holocaust berghahn books. The narrative style is engaging, and presents stories against the larger context of the nazi war against the jews. Gypsies, polish women and women with disabilities were also persecuted and taken to concentration camps.
Jan 16, 2017 jewish resistance during the holocaust yad vashem. Students will learn about the different ways that the jews resisted the nazis, both within and outside of the camps, in an effort to preserve their lives, dignity, and culture, which the nazis attempted to destroy. Youll hear the story of georges loinger who smuggled jewish children out of occupied france to switzerland, fourteenyearold idel kagan who helped dig an escape tunnel out of a forced labor camp in poland, despite injuries to both his. Whether youre completing an academic assignment, consider yourself a history buff, or just trying to learn something new, reading a novel about the holocaust is an excellent way to gain insight into. Legal resistance through petitions during the holocaust. Students will learn about the different ways that the jews resisted the nazis, both within and outside of the camps, in an effort to preserve their lives, dignity, and. R37 2012 through twentyone meticulously researched accounts some chronicled in book form for the first time doreen rappaport illuminates the defiance of tens of thousands of jews across eleven nazioccupied countries. The history of the jewish partisans in lithuania and white russia during the nazi occupation, 19401945 by lester samuel eckman hardcover from shengold. Cooperating with other members of the polish resistance, including many jewish residents of the ghetto, she sent jewish children to live with non jewish families. Printing underground newspapers, hiding written accounts of daily life, and holding concerts or plays in the ghettos were other ways that some defied the nazi authorities. Under the noses of the military, georges loinger smuggles thousands of children out of occupied france into switzerland.
Holocaust memorial museum and library resources, they gather facts about resistance activities during the holocaust, preparing reports on incidents of rebellion at the sobibor, treblinka, and auschwitz death camps and in the warsaw ghetto. Nazi persecution and mass murder of the jews gave rise to jewish resistance movements that acted against the third reich within the occupied areas of europe. Nevertheless, organized armed resistance was the most direct form of jewish. Below describes how jews and nonjews were able to resist during the holocaust. A comprehensive, compelling look at jewish resistance on many fronts during the holocaust affirms the numerous ways jews fought back. Inspired by a true story, odette is young jewish girl living in paris during the occupation. Cooperating with other members of the polish resistance, including many jewish residents of the ghetto, she sent jewish children to live with nonjewish families. List of books and articles about women in the holocaust. Jewish civilians offered armed resistance in over 100 ghettos in occupied poland and the soviet union in aprilmay 1943, jews in the warsaw ghetto rose in armed revolt after rumors that the germans would deport the remaining ghetto inhabitants to the treblinka killing center. Jewish resistance within germany itself during the nazi era took a variety of forms, from sabotage and disruptions to providing intelligence to allied forces, distributing antinazi propaganda, as well as participating in attempts to assist jewish emigration out of nazicontrolled territories. Jewish resistance in germanoccupied europe wikipedia. Although jews were the nazis primary victims, they too resisted nazi oppression in a variety of ways, both collectively and as individuals. Jul 29, 2019 irena sendler, a polish catholic social worker assigned to the warsaw ghetto, saved the lives of over 2,500 jewish children.
In belgium, three resisters ambush a train, allowing scores of jews to flee from the cattle cars. Doreen rappaports book is an important contribution to holocaust literature for young readers. Apr 09, 2007 the jewish partisans represent a different facet of the holocaust during which 6 million jews died, and their existence is becoming better known. Petitions to the jewish council in the lodz ghetto during world war ii svenja bethke. That all changed with the publication of raul hilbergs book, the destruction of the european jews. In three cases, entire countries citation needed resisted the deportation of their jewish population during the holocaust. In a stirring chronicle, doreen rappaport brings to light the courage of countless jews who organized to sabotage the nazis and help other jews during the holocaust. Jewish resistance in the holocaust my jewish learning. The best books on the holocaust recommended by steven katz.
On october 7, the sonderkommando prisoners forced to handle the bodies of gas chamber victims succeeded in blowing up one of the four crematoria at auschwitz. During world war ii, the group of nations including the united states, britain, the soviet union, and the free french, who joined in the war against germany and other axis countries. On july 25, 1942, jewish resisters attacked and burned the files of the organization that. The united states holocaust memorial museum publication, resistance during the holocaust, describes examples of armed and unarmed resistance. During the holocaust, the average population density inside the ghettos across europe was about seven people to a single room, and up to 30 percent of a citys residents crammed into three percent of its area.
An american jewish resistance during world war ii books. The scope of his analysis, which ranges from the armed resistance of partisan groups to the spiritual resistance of orthodox rabbis in the holocausts ghettos, is unrivaled. My daughter discovered odettes secrets at the library and devoured it in an afternoon. From time to time, reference is made to such preoccupations as if they were peculiar to holocaust historiography or sometimes to israeli national concerns. In aprilmay 1943, jews in the warsaw ghetto rose in armed revolt after rumors that the germans would deport the remaining ghetto inhabitants to the treblinka killing center. This is an interesting and important publication on jewish medical resistance, a subject rarely covered in the literature on the holocaust the overall amount of information, the variety of approaches and the general insight given into this emotionally laden topic makes this volume unique and outstanding. The intricate deceptions are as compelling as the confrontations, and the underground escape stories make for thrilling adventure. Although the scope and extent of jewish resistance during the holocaust cannot possibly be contained in one book, rappaport offers an astonishing and inspiring survey. Resistance united states holocaust memorial museum. The most forceful form of resistance was the armed resistance groups organized in over 100 ghettos throughout russia and poland. A working bibliography this bibliography of books and articles on the subject of jewish resistance during the holocaust compiles basic data on scholarly and other significant writings dealing with the period 193945.
Beyond courage, her most ambitious project to date, took five years to research and write. The jewish partisans represent a different facet of the holocaust during which 6 million jews died, and their existence is becoming better known. The rest of a city was given over to nazi party members, german troops, and the few gentile civilians deemed nonthreatening. This is an interesting and important publication on jewish medical resistance, a subject rarely covered in the literature on the holocaust the overall amount of information, the variety of approaches and the general insight given into this emotionally laden. Jewish civilians offered armed resistance in over 100 ghettos in occupied poland and the soviet union. Most jewish resistance to the nazis focused on rescue, escape, aid to those in hiding, and spiritual resistance.
In the years immediately after world war ii, the holocaust was little studied. Jewish resistance nazisponsored persecution and mass murder fueled resistance to the germans in the third reich itself and throughout occupied europe. This book was a true story of events that happened leading up to the holocaust and what took place during the holocaust. Secretly participating in jewish rituals was also a form of spiritual resistance, which helped to sustain a sense of dignity and heritage for jews in ghettos and camps. List of books and articles about jewish resistance during the. Cultural and spiritual resistance the term resistance when related to jews and the holocaust takes on a different meaning than the way most of us understand the term. No book on jewish resistance during the holocaust is better than james glasss. With all the shelves of holocaust books about the millions lost in the genocide, this is one of the few histories to focus in detail on jewish resistance across europethose who fought back and saved others. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. In other countries, notable individuals or communities created resistance during the holocaust which helped the jews escape some concentration camps since 1963, a commission organized by yad vashem, the holocaust martyrs and heroes remembrance authority in israel, and. This lesson invites a deeper exploration of jewish resistance, both spiritual and physical, during the holocaust.
Jewish resistance united states holocaust memorial. I have always been interested in the history of the holocaust. With a historial survey of the jew as fighter and soldier in the diaspora. The untold story of jewish resistance during the holocaust 1st pb edition by rappaport, doreen isbn. The majority of jews who escaped the camps and ghettos did so to survive, not to start or join resistance groups. The untold story of jewish resistance during the holocaust by doreen rappaport, was a good book. Jewish resistance during the holocaust provides important new information about how strictly orthodox jews coped with the uniquely diabolical situation of nazi genocide. During the holocaust in world war ii more than six million jews were murdered, many of them women and children. This activity is designed to familiarize students with the different forms of resistance during the holocaust. The strategies of romanian jewish leader wilhelm filderman, 194044 stefan c. But these documents remain as important proof of what happened during the holocaust, as well as evidence of the immense physical and psychological. Organized armed resistance was the most forceful form of jewish opposition to nazi policies in germanoccupied europe. It also financed armed resistance and supported both jewish and nonjewish resistance networks. Jewish partisans were often young women and men who escaped ghettos and camps and fought in predominantly non jewish, but occasionally in all jewish, partisan groups.