Resistence in the Ghettos

Abstract

This paper examines the nature and role of resistance in the ghettos during the Holocaust. The goal is to demonstrate that it was common throughout the ghettos, and took many different active and passive forms. The most commonly known forms are the active uprisings of several different ghettos, the most famous of which was in Warsaw, however, there were also other examples such as raids. Passive forms of resistance are less well known, but were integral for the physical and psychological health of the inhabitants. They include examples such as smuggling food, underground hospitals, religious education, and cultural events. By demonstrating the multiple ways in which Jews resisted the Nazis, this paper challenges the idea, held by certain scholars such as Raul Hilberg, that the Jews offered little in the way of resistance, and instead shows the crucial role that even the smallest acts of resistance had on maintaining the health of the inhabitants of the ghettos.