Essay On Jewish Resistance

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Pages: 2

Different Forms of Jewish Resistance

“Resistance is the act or power of resisting, opposing, or withstanding.” (Dictionary 1). The Holocaust was the time during World War II, when Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany. Millions of Jews were forced into concentration camps, extermination camps, and Ghettos because Hitler believed that the Jewish people were not necessary for his ‘ideal world’. Throughout the harsh conditions, Many of the Jews resisted in various ways. During the Holocaust, The Jews resisted in armed and unarmed forms of resistance to help them maintain their humanity.

Unarmed resistance is resistance formed by Jews that did not require any weapons. Most Jews used unarmed resistance to rebel against the Nazis. “The Germans forbade religious services in most ghettos, so many Jews prayed and held ceremonies in secret-in cellars, attics, and backrooms-as others stood
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It was not a common way of resisting, however a handful of brave Jews used this method. “Jewish groups attacked German tanks with Molotov cocktails, hand grenades, and a handful of small arms” (Jewish Resistance 1). Although the attacks did not notably affect the Nazis, their courage had certainly reached the hearts of the remaining Jews. With fewer of these brave soul’s rebellions, many started to start resistance with weaponry.

Armed and Unarmed Resistance were used to restore the Jew’s faith and pride against the Nazis. Prayer and religious practices were one of the truest forms of unarmed resistance. Not only spiritual resistances, but also by recording the events of the Holocaust in books and diaries which keeps this history alive today. The Jewish people also stood up against the Nazis through weaponry which did not affect the Nazis massively, but were praised by other Jews for their bravery. Overall, more than 50% of Jews resisted against Nazis in many forms whether it was armed or