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Unbroken Will to Live the Power of Spiritual Resistance in the Theresienstadt Ghetto

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Unbroken Will to Live the Power of Spiritual Resistance in the Theresienstadt Ghetto Unbroken Will to Live The Power of Spiritual Resistance in the Theresienstadt Ghetto AUTHOR: Tianna Voort EDITED BY: Eli Feldman, Esti Azizi, and Marisa Coulton Life in the Theresienstadt ghetto was distinct is a Hebrew word that translates to ‘stand.’ The from the rest of the ghettos established in Nazi- term Amidah encompasses all Jewish expressions occupied Europe. The Nazis used Theresienstadt of non-conformism, which were intended to oppose as a form of propaganda to masquerade their the Nazis’ goal to dehumanize and deprive the inhumane treatment of the Jews, calm the Jews of their humanity. In the ghettos, the Jews’ fears of the international community, and draw ability to resist German efforts of dehumanization attention away from their creation of death camps demonstrated immense courage and heroism of throughout Eastern Europe. Famous Jews were the spirit.1 Jews in the ghetto did not passively sent to Theresienstadt from 1941-1944, which led accept their fates; instead, they lived their lives as to a disproportionate number of cultural elite in human beings with hope for a better future, and the ghetto. The Nazis’ plan to use Theresienstadt showed the Nazis that they could not succeed in as a model ghetto allowed for the development destroying their humanity or dignity. In the face of a distinct and fourishing cultural life, which of dire suffering, the creation of cultural activities included music, opera, theatre, art exhibitions, represented an essential means of spiritual poetry, lectures, and literature. Importantly, such resistance against the Nazis’ desire to destroy prosperous cultural life became a form of spiritual Jewish humanity. These activities shared two main resistance and, in turn, emerged as a crucial means goals: to elevate life under diffcult circumstances, of survival for the Jews in Theresienstadt. and to affrm the humanity of Jewish life. The frst step of the Nazis’ plan to destroy In the Theresienstadt ghetto, the prisoners the Jews of Europe was the implementation of clung to cultural activities as a moral lifeline, but restrictive laws designed to dehumanize and their ‘intoxication’ with cultural activities has demoralize the prosperous Jewish community. generated considerable controversy among The establishment of the ghettos was an important Holocaust survivors and historians. H.G. Adler, phase in the implementation of this plan, which a noted scholar and Holocaust survivor, argues systematically removed Jews from society. By that the cultural developments in the ghetto were centralizing the Jews in ghettos, the Nazis created a way for Jews to distort and deny reality. Adler a physical divide between the Jewish and non- contends that this ‘intoxication’ was detrimental to Jewish populations and, in turn, furthered their prisoners’ lives in the camp because the reliance efforts to dehumanize the Jews. on fantasy and illusion refected a regression to a childlike state.2 However, the majority of survivors While Jews in the Theresienstadt ghetto disagree with Adler’s conclusion that the ability lacked the tools for armed combat, they relied on to psychologically remove oneself from the camp spiritual tools as a means of resistance. In 1968, atmosphere was harmful. Theresienstadt survivor historian and Holocaust survivor Meir “Mark” Gerty Spies, draws the antithetical conclusion Dworzecki used the term Amidah to defne a spiritual that the primary purpose of these activities was resistance that was non-violent in nature. Amidah to help the prisoners forget the reality of life for 20 as long as possible.3 These short periods of in the ghetto.13 It was under this constant threat of psychological escape provided the prisoners deportation that the Jews of the ghetto lived. with spiritual fortifcation that helped them persist through the diffculties of daily life in the camp. To give Theresienstadt the appearance of Jana Sedova, another Theresienstadt survivor, a self-governing community, the Nazis established claims that the evening entertainment “gave dignity the Council of Elders, managed by respected to the prisoners,” and that “this spark gave light members of the Jewish community. The Council of and warmth for several days.”4 Historians Janet Elders was headed by Jakub Edelstein, to whom Blatter and Sybil Milton have demonstrated that the the Nazis gave the title of ‘Elder of the Jews’. creation of art was a survival strategy that allowed Edelstein and his men were responsible for the for a temporary escape from reality.5 Furthermore, daily activities in the camp such as construction historian Miroslav Karney argues that art was of billets, work assignments, and food allotments. “the prisoners’ weapon of defense against human While this administration was given limited decimation. It became the battlefeld where the autonomy, it attempted to mitigate the distress struggle to maintain the camp spirit was waged.”6 of German directives on the Jews primarily by For Holocaust survivor, Jacob Jacobsohn, the addressing prisoner concerns regarding hunger, small pleasures of artistic creation were essential sickness, and despair.14 to counterbalancing the misery of the deportations in the camp.7 Theresienstadt was designed as a ghetto to house Jews whose unexplained disappearance In 1780, Terezín was founded as a military would be noticed by the international community. compound in the Czech Republic. However, by The purpose of congregating the cultural elite the 1930s, the compound was a town in which in one place was to present Theresienstadt as 3,700 Czech civilians lived.8 In 1941, the Jewish a “model ghetto” where Jews lived comfortably. community in Prague appealed to the German The Nazis attempted to show the world that they administration to establish a ghetto within the were solving the “Jewish Question” in a humane borders of the Protectorate, rather than send the fashion. These privileged populations included Jews of Bohemia and Moravia to camps in the East.9 famous Czech artists, musicians, writers, and The town of Terezín was chosen by the Nazis as the scholars, First World War heroes, and children or location for this ghetto-camp, which was renamed spouses in mixed marriages.15 After the Wannsee Theresienstadt.10 The frst transport of 342 young Conference in 1942, Prague’s cultural elite were men from Prague arrived at the ghetto on November joined by those from Germany, Austria, and the 24, 1941. While the deportees were promised Netherlands.16 Theresienstadt thus became a comfortable billets, paid work, and permission to centre for the ‘leading’ continental Jewry.17 The maintain correspondence with their families, this growth in the number of cultural elite in the ghetto did not prove to be the case. The conditions of the led to the development of a vibrant cultural life.18 camp were dismal, and the deportees were given no compensation for their work.11 Transportations When the camp was initially established, to Theresienstadt of women, children, and the all cultural activities were banned by the Nazis. elderly began in early December, 1941. In January, However, there is evidence that clandestine 1942, deportations from Theresienstadt to the cultural activities began almost immediately in extermination camps in the East commenced.12 Theresienstadt. A party was organized by the frst Consequently, Theresienstadt became a transit two transports (A-K 1 and A-K 2) within the frst station for Jews being sent to death camps. These month of the ghetto’s establishment. Among the transports continued until October, 1944, and workers, there were musicians, actors, and poets, became one of the most constant features of life and, as a result, there was little diffculty organizing 21 entertainment. The group created an orchestra These instruments were obtained from the with a recorder, a harmonica, an accordion, and a property of disbanded Jewish communities.26 wash bin for a drum.19 At frst, there was no formal The administration even convinced the S.S. to organization to the cultural activities, which were bring several pianos into the ghetto that had carried out without the knowledge of the Nazis. been confscated from Jewish homes.27 These Nevertheless, these improvised activities effectively instruments made concerts in the ghetto possible. built resistance, affrmed life, and helped overcome While the Nazis encouraged the creation of the the hardships of life in the camp. Freizeitgestaltung, they did not anticipate the extent to which cultural activities would develop To advance the idea of the ghetto as a Jewish in the ghetto. What began as a Nazi propaganda settlement, the Schutzstaffel (“S.S.”), Hitler’s major tool became a weapon of intellectual and spiritual parliamentary organization, began to allow the resistance for the Jews of Theresienstadt.28 proliferation of cultural activities. Eventually, the S.S. even actively encouraged the development Music fourished in Theresienstadt and of artistic endeavors in the ghetto.20 The lift of the played an important role in prisoners’ lives.29 Many offcial ban on culture led to a deluge of activities.21 classical musical works such as The Bartered In 1942, with the permission of the S.S., the Bride, The Marriage of Figaro, The Magic Flute, and Council of Elders established the Freizeitgestaltung Verdi’s Requiem were performed in Theresienstadt. (Administration of Leisure Activities) which permitted Many talented musicians and composers were prisoners to create cultural programs in their ‘free deported to Theresienstadt, including the former time’.
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