Ruby Rohrlich, ed.. Resisting the Holocaust. Oxford and New York: Berg Publishers, 1998. 264 pp. $65.00, cloth, ISBN 978-1-85973-216-8.

Reviewed by Stan Nadel

Published on H-Holocaust (July, 1999)

It is the contention of the editor and some of ing the defnition to be used for this volume, her the contributors to this fne collection that "resis‐ introductory remarks and the substance of the tance" to the Holocaust is a topic that has been se‐ following essays clearly come down towards the verely neglected. This contention is hard to con‐ active resistance end of the spectrum. Rohrlich is tradict at a time when it is reported that one of particularly concerned to counter the assumption the few older works on the subject, Reuben Ainsz‐ that resistance to the Holocaust was a male activi‐ tain's Encyclopedia of the Jewish Resistance, has ty, which she does efectively through brief de‐ been deaccessioned by the Cleveland Public li‐ scriptions of the heroic activities of "little Wanda" braries. So, let it be said up front that this is an Teitelboim, Mala Zimetbaum, and Germaine Ri‐ important work, one that will help considerably biere. She points out that resistance was often col‐ in countering that historical neglect--or will if it is lective, and in the cases of the Bulgarians, the Ital‐ added to library collections. Like any collection of ians, and the Danes the collectivity apparently in‐ works by a variety of authors and with a wide volved the majority of their populations. Having range of foci, the parts of this book vary signif‐ laid out the parameters of the problem, Rohrlich cantly in both quality and interest. But, the quali‐ briefy summarizes each chapter and lets the ty is mostly high and the topics are generally of reader get on with the essays. compelling interest. In the frst of these, Martin Cohen explores Ruby Rohrlich introduces the book with a the issue of "Jewish Ambivalence and Antipathy to consideration of the concept of "resistance," the History of Resistance." Pointing out that well which she reports has been defned in various over one and a half million Jews carried arms ways to cover everything from armed struggle against the Nazis, Cohen explores the reasons why against the Nazis to anything done by Jews to sur‐ the predominant image of the Holocaust is one of vive--and even to any humane actions by non- passive Jews being slaughtered by Nazis, with Jews towards Jews. While never explicitly resolv‐ only the rare righteous gentile standing between H-Net Reviews helpless Jews and total extermination. Cohen at‐ learned about their plans. Learning of their exis‐ tributes this frst of all to the historical image of tence and seeking to head of a repetition of the the Jew as victim. Members of a small minority recent Warsaw ghetto uprising, the Gestapo de‐ widely dispersed among an often hostile Christian manded that the Ghetto leaders turn over the majority, without a state or military of their own commander of the partisans, Yitzhak Wittenberg. and often prohibited from carrying arms, the Cutting through the confusion piled around this Jews of Europe had frequently been victimized incident by several diferent fctional and histori‐ and their easily overwhelmed eforts at resistance cal accounts, Sterling explores the moral and po‐ had been forgotten. By the nineteenth century, litical dilemmas faced by the ghetto and resis‐ even many Jews had come to see themselves as tance leaders. Jacob Gens, the Judenrat leader in non-violent, an image which lives on in the Holo‐ Vilna, was no Rumkowsky and may even have caust histories of scholars like Raul Hilberg. What been sympathetic to the resistance. But, faced was sometimes a necessary condition of survival with a German threat to liquidate the ghetto im‐ was raised to the status of a virtue--a sign of supe‐ mediately if Wittenberg wasn't produced, Gens rior Jewish morality rather than just weakness. helped the Gestapo arrest Wittenberg. Before the Cohen cites a former partisan who reported arrest was completed, Wittenberg was rescued by social pressure to silence his memories: "The resistance fghters. But that just spread Gens' world started looking at Jews as martyrs. And dilemma to others. Gens announced that the Ger‐ here comes a Jew who says he fought. That's not mans were going to destroy the ghetto and kill ev‐ good. No one wanted to talk to me at all. Because I eryone if Wittenberg wasn't turned over, and the killed." Then too, Cohen suggests that the defni‐ panicked populace demanded that the resistance tion of resistance has often been set higher for turn Wittenberg in. With recent reports indicating Jews than for others. When a tiny minority of the that Soviet forces were on the move west, the French organized a resistance which focused hope that non-resistance would keep the ghetto more on propaganda, raising morale and prepar‐ going till rescue arrived was widespread, and a ing an organization ready to rise at an opportune popular fury was unleashed on the resistance for moment than on armed struggle, that resistance apparently endangering everyone's survival. was raised to the level of a national myth. But, Faced with a choice between turning Witten‐ similar Jewish activities in the ghettos of Nazi Eu‐ berg in and having to fght against their own peo‐ rope have been denied the status of resistance un‐ ple, the leaders of the resistance voted to turn less they actually engaged in relatively large-scale Wittenberg in. Although fction has Wittenberg battles with their oppressors. sacrifcing himself for the cause, Wittenberg in Nor did former partisans living in Cold War fact went into hiding from his own organization America feel safe in openly proclaiming their par‐ as well as the authorities. Only when he was ticipation in the activities of the Red Army, con‐ caught was he turned over to the Gestapo, predict‐ tributing further to American ignorance of the ing accurately that the resistance plans wouldn't Jewish partisans. It was a combination of these survive his betrayal. Afterwards, the resistance factors, Cohen argues, which led to the minimiza‐ fghters gave up the planned uprising and mass tion and near forgetting of the Jewish resistance. escape, feeing to the forests and abandoning the people who had pressured them into turning their Eric Sterling explores a fascinating incident leader over to the Gestapo torturers. Gens and his which took place in Vilna. An armed resistance associates were all killed when the ghetto was liq‐ organization had been formed there and was pre‐ uidated two months later. paring for an uprising in 1943 when the Gestapo

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While the story has been told before, it is Ster‐ of resistance to actually enact it. As he does so, he ling's sensitive readings of the practical and moral enhances the readers understanding of both dilemmas faced by Gens, Wittenberg, the resis‐ Levi's writings and his experience of the Holo‐ tance command, and others which makes this an caust. And he does so in a way which is convinc‐ outstanding account. ing even to this historian, who rarely fnds liter‐ In her chapter, Nechama Tec briefy recapitu‐ ary analysis historically convincing. lates the story and the analysis from her book on In the next chapter, Ami Neiberger explores the Bielski partisans, "the largest armed rescue of the formation of social groups in Auschwitz--the Jews by Jews in Nazi occupied Europe" (p. 89).[1] ways in which real and fctive family ties were the While she adds little to what she has already pub‐ basis of groups that helped their members main‐ lished, the chapter is a well written and sharply tain their humanity and survive. Based on numer‐ argued introduction to her longer work and plays ous interviews with survivors, the study shows a strong role in strengthening the current volume. convincingly that the formation and maintenance Tec provides a close analysis of the patterns of so‐ of these groups was an important form of resis‐ cial diferentiation, which developed in the parti‐ tance in the death camps. Not in the sense of over‐ san movement in general, Jewish partisan units, throwing the camp regime or leading to inmate and the Bielski detachment in particular (and escapes, but because it frustrated the purpose of does so without any of the intrusive jargon which the camps simply by helping the inmates survive. often detracts from sociological studies). Her anal‐ Neiberger's data is drawn solely from interviews ysis of the experience of women among Russian with women survivors and women's memoirs, so and Jewish partisan units provides a telling refu‐ her analysis may well apply only to the women's tation of those who have accused those writing camp. If so, we have another indication of the im‐ about women in the Holocaust of dragging trendy portance of gender in understanding the experi‐ irrelevancies into Holocaust studies. ence of the Holocaust. But, far from making a This theme is extended in the next chapter by feminist issue out of this, Neiberger fails to ex‐ Judith Tydor Baumel, "The 'Parachutist's Mission' plore the implications of her materials. In a way from a Gender Perspective. Exploring on an Is‐ that's a shame, but the chapter remains valuable raeli national myth, the story of the nearly forty in its own terms. parachutists from Jewish Palestine dropped into In his chapter "Protest and Silence," Nathan Nazi occupied Europe, she focuses on the three Stoltzfus returns to ground he covered at greater women among them and on how both their expe‐ length in his Resistance of the Heart: The Rosen‐ rience and their story were shaped and distorted strasse Protest and Intermarriage in Nazi Ger‐ by political ideology and gender stereotypes. In many. While the ground is familiar, this essay is the process, she transforms "the virgin warrior," not simply a recapitulation of the well-known sto‐ "the universal mother," and "the fearful phobic" ry. Stolzfus concerns himself with the ways in back into real human beings and transforms myth which the story of the Rosenstrasse protest has into history. been misused by some scholars like Daniel Gold‐ Murray Baumgarten takes the reader away hagen, and why it has been largely ignored in from the study of myth, history, and heroism to Germany--most conspicuously in the case of the the examination of individual resistance--the re‐ German Resistance Memorial Center. As usual, sistance of that most extraordinary individual, Stozfus' analysis is well written and persuasive, is Primo Levi. Baumgarten explores the ways in well worth reading even by those who know the which Levi's writings go beyond the presentation story of the Rossenstrasse protest well, and con‐

3 H-Net Reviews tributes signifcantly to the success of the volume them as protectors of Jews in their areas of opera‐ as a whole. tion. He does make a fairly good preliminary case Margret Collins Weitz then takes the volume for the proposition that the members of the Blue into Western Europe with her chapter on "French Division were not complicit in the extermination Women in the Resistance: Rescuing Jews." The au‐ campaigns of their German allies, but he fails to thor of Sisters in the Resistance, she also returns make the harder case for resistance. Relying heav‐ us to issues relating to gender. She frst points out ily on memoirs of Blue Division veterans, Bowen the general marginalization of women's resis‐ provides a number of anecdotes where the vets tance activities by writers who have tended to fo‐ reported that they disapproved of German poli‐ cus primarily on military activities--even though cies and even tried on occasion to subvert them. military activities were themselves marginal to The problem is that similar claims have been the overall resistance movement until late in the made by many who were anxious to distance occupation. The real focus of the resistance dur‐ themselves from the crimes of Nazi Germany af‐ ing most of the occupation was on propaganda ter its defeat--sometimes by men who had played and organization, arenas where women played a conspicuous role in those same crimes. Nor are major roles. The propaganda of underground most of these anecdotes particularly impressive newspapers was based on women's clandestine as examples of resistance, even if true. When clerical work, while women couriers made resis‐ Meir Michaelis made similar claims for Italian tance organizations possible and women ran the troops on the Eastern Front, he not only cited safe houses that sustained movement activists more impressive instances of aid to Jews, he hiding from the authorities. These were also the based his claims on reports by Jewish eyewitness‐ activities through which the Holocaust was resist‐ es.[2] The lack of such citations for these Spanish ed in France and women took the lead in this re‐ claims creates a broad opening for skepticism. sistance. Weitz surveys the activities of Catholics Granting the possibility that Spanish soldiers who joined the resistance in reaction against the were indeed not particularly complicit in the Antisemitism of Vichy (Violette Morin); of Protes‐ Holocaust and that a few may well have saved tants who organized "God's underground" to res‐ some Jewish lives, Bowen is still a long way from cue Jews (Madeline Barot); and of Jewish "soldiers making good his claim that theirs was "a great of the night" who participated in many aspects of moral victory." the resistance (Yvette Bernard Farnoux). Nor does Myrna Goodman's "Foundations of Resistance Weitz neglect the women of the Organisation in German-Occupied Denmark" re-examines the Juive de Combat and the Eclaireurs Israelites much studied case of Danish resistance in a thor‐ Francais--some of whom like Marianne Cohen ough and well-reasoned manner. Starting with a gave their lives escorting Jewish children to safety demonstration of the unique aspects of the Danish in Switzerland. Their stories are heroic and in‐ case, Goodman focuses on an analysis of the spe‐ spiring, leaving the reader anxious for more. cifc historical conditions that led to this unique Wayne Bowen's contribution, "'A Great Moral mass rescue. Noting the lax nature of the Nazi oc‐ Victory': Spanish Protection of Jews on the East‐ cupation of Denmark as a necessary condition of ern Front, 1941-1944," endeavors to provide just the rescue, Goodman starts with the high degree that inspiration. Focused on the Spanish Blue Di‐ of assimilation of Denmark's Jewish population. vision, over 40,000 Spanish volunteers who joined They were viewed by other Danes as Jewish Nazi Germany's assault on the Soviet Union be‐ Danes rather than as Danish Jews--and Denmark's tween 1941 and 1943, Bowen's essay presents dismal record regarding Jewish refugees before the war assured that there were few non-Danish

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Jews to complicate the wartime situation. Good‐ the resistance to the Holocaust, in the end we man locates one source of resistance in the liber‐ must always acknowledge the fundamental reali‐ al/individualistic ideals of Danish nationalism as ty of horror that forever remains the core of the promulgated through the pervasive Folk High Holocaust experience. School system. Notes Another source of resistance lay in the Danish [1]. Nechama Tec, Defance: The Bielski Parti‐ Lutheran Church, which publicly denounced Nazi sans (New York: Oxford University Press, 1993). Antisemitism even before the war, and which [2]. Meir Michaelis, Mussolini and the Jews: conspicuously distinguished itself from its Ger‐ German- Italian Relations and the Jewish Ques‐ man counterpart in this regard. Finally, Goodman tion in Italy, 1922-1945 (Oxford: Clarendon, 1978) notes the strong Danish tradition of collective ac‐ p. 321. tion and mutual trust that permeates Danish soci‐ ety through the extensive network of economic [3]. George Eisen, Children and Play in the cooperatives. All in all, Goodman makes a strong Holocaust: Games among the Shadows (Amherst: and convincing case for rooting the Danish rescue University of Massachusetts Press, 1988). in the specifc traditions, institutions, and circum‐ Copyright (c) 1999 by H-Net, all rights re‐ stances of occupation era Denmark. served. This work may be copied for non-proft Nothing would be less appropriate than end‐ educational use if proper credit is given to the au‐ ing a book on the Holocaust on an up-beat note. thor and the list. For other permission, please con‐ Rather than let the readers of the hook by stick‐ tact [email protected]. ing with the limited success of resistance, Rohrlich has wisely chosen to end this collection with James Glass' sobering "German Treatment of Jewish Children during the Holocaust: A Case Study in the Barriers to Resistance." Glass exam‐ ines the consequences of the Nazi extermination program's requirement that Jewish children be particularly targeted. He strongly rejects the opti‐ mistic view of George Eisen and others that the persistence of play by children in the ghettos and the camps somehow demonstrated a victory of the human spirit.[3] Glass analyzes the games played in the ghet‐ tos and camps as testimonies to "the victory of op‐ pression and the ease with which psychological resistance was swept away," as "last-ditch eforts to ward of psychological death" which fnally failed. For the children of the Holocaust there was no Hollywood ending--no redemption, no note of hope, and no resistance. There was just indescrib‐ able brutality, misery and death. The message is clear. While we must not forget the resistors and

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Citation: Stan Nadel. Review of Rohrlich, Ruby, ed. Resisting the Holocaust. H-Holocaust, H-Net Reviews. July, 1999.

URL: https://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=3235

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