SECTION 1: Beginnings
In 1934, the holocaust had officially begun, and the Nazi persecution of the Jewish people was in full swing. The Jews were had been stripped of food, weapons, and proper shelter. This persecution was fueling resistance attempts from the Jews, whether they be in concentration camps, ghettos, or in the middle of a forest. Jews were fighting back individually and collectively. Groups were formed, such as the FPO (Lithuania) and the Jewish Army (France). People like Rozka Korczak, Vitka Kempner, Abba Kovner, and Kalman Teigman were all important individuals who help Jews during the holocaust. The most effective resistance was the armed resistance. It was the only kind able to actually kill German soldiers. If they didn't have weapons, the resistance usually failed.
The Jewish people were angry and distraught all over Europe. Resistances were being planned in and out of the concentration camps. Jews outside of the camps did whatever they could do stop the Nazis. In the ghettos, people were willing to do the impossible. Weapons from anywhere they could be found were smuggled in, and substitutes for weapons were being made. The Nazis never saw resistance like this coming. Any resistance was expected to be weak and short live but the Jewish people had different say in the matter. They avoided hopelessness and despair in any way possible. Then again, people were committing suicide as a way to resist the Nazi power.
SECTION 2: Events
When the holocaust was being implemented, the Jewish people were doing whatever they could to resist their Nazi enemies. Things were being done that today wouldn't be considered resistance. It could be argued suicide was a form of resistance to some Jews. But there were "better" forms of resistance being performed as well. Groups such as the FPO, ZBO, and the Jewish Army were smuggling Jews out of ghettos and organized armed resistances across Europe. These resistances used molotov cocktails, hand grenades , and small arms as weapons to harm or kill German soldiers.Also, Jews were constantly fleeing into the forest and hiding there.
Camps were set up all over forests in Europe. They were a safe haven for fleeing Jewish prisoners. There were leaders of these camps and they were constantly putting together small units to sabotage German military movements. In the ghettos, Jews hid in the shadows waiting for the perfect time to strike. When a German military unit came by, the Jews unleashed all they had on them. Now, usually the Jews really weren't much for the Germans to handle, but in ghettos such as Warsaw, it was a different story. Enough Jews gathered together to make a huge resistance.
Resistances like the one in Warsaw lasted longer than the Germans expected. German general Heinrich Himmler promised Hitler that the uprising in the Warsaw ghetto would be quelled in three days. It took four weeks. The entire city had been completely destroyed. That's what it took for a large Jewish resistance in a ghetto to be stopped.
Now, an uprising in a concentration camp was a totally different story. The prisoners had basically no connection to the outside world. They had no weapons that could be smuggled in, so they had to steal them from the Germans. Children that polished the German's shoes had to steal weapons from the armory day by day so the guards wouldn't notice. Then, once the Jewish men had the guns, SS soldiers were led to the barracks and killed on the spot. That was when the fight started. Every man was for himself. The Germans were outnumbered, but they had the military marksmanship. So, it didn't take long for the resistance to end. Some Jews did get get away, but they were usually caught again.
SECTION 3: Result
Most of the Jewish resistance ended once the war was over and all the concentration camps were liberated, but not all of the Jews just went home and didn't care. A lot of Jewish people stayed in groups and began to help others recover. Some went to Jerusalem, others stayed in Europe. But, they did whatever they could to help. They gave them shelter, helped orphans, fed them, bathed them, and clothed them. The Soviet Union, who helped the Jews during the war, actually wanted Jewish resistance groups disbanded, but the Jews didn't give up on helping others.
People who were leaders of the resistance during the war never stopped helping. People like Rozka Korczak went to Jerusalem and made Jewish religious leaders aware of the holocaust. Others went looking for family. But, because of the Jewish resistance, the holocaust will never be fogotten among the Jews or anyone in the world.
NAME: Zach P.
SECTION 1: Beginnings
In 1934, the holocaust had officially begun, and the Nazi persecution of the Jewish people was in full swing. The Jews were had been stripped of food, weapons, and proper shelter. This persecution was fueling resistance attempts from the Jews, whether they be in concentration camps, ghettos, or in the middle of a forest. Jews were fighting back individually and collectively. Groups were formed, such as the FPO (Lithuania) and the Jewish Army (France). People like Rozka Korczak, Vitka Kempner, Abba Kovner, and Kalman Teigman were all important individuals who help Jews during the holocaust. The most effective resistance was the armed resistance. It was the only kind able to actually kill German soldiers. If they didn't have weapons, the resistance usually failed.
The Jewish people were angry and distraught all over Europe. Resistances were being planned in and out of the concentration camps. Jews outside of the camps did whatever they could do stop the Nazis. In the ghettos, people were willing to do the impossible. Weapons from anywhere they could be found were smuggled in, and substitutes for weapons were being made. The Nazis never saw resistance like this coming. Any resistance was expected to be weak and short live but the Jewish people had different say in the matter. They avoided hopelessness and despair in any way possible. Then again, people were committing suicide as a way to resist the Nazi power.
SECTION 2: Events
When the holocaust was being implemented, the Jewish people were doing whatever they could to resist their Nazi enemies. Things were being done that today wouldn't be considered resistance. It could be argued suicide was a form of resistance to some Jews. But there were "better" forms of resistance being performed as well. Groups such as the FPO, ZBO, and the Jewish Army were smuggling Jews out of ghettos and organized armed resistances across Europe. These resistances used molotov cocktails, hand grenades , and small arms as weapons to harm or kill German soldiers.Also, Jews were constantly fleeing into the forest and hiding there.
Camps were set up all over forests in Europe. They were a safe haven for fleeing Jewish prisoners. There were leaders of these camps and they were constantly putting together small units to sabotage German military movements. In the ghettos, Jews hid in the shadows waiting for the perfect time to strike. When a German military unit came by, the Jews unleashed all they had on them. Now, usually the Jews really weren't much for the Germans to handle, but in ghettos such as Warsaw, it was a different story. Enough Jews gathered together to make a huge resistance.
Resistances like the one in Warsaw lasted longer than the Germans expected. German general Heinrich Himmler promised Hitler that the uprising in the Warsaw ghetto would be quelled in three days. It took four weeks. The entire city had been completely destroyed. That's what it took for a large Jewish resistance in a ghetto to be stopped.
Now, an uprising in a concentration camp was a totally different story. The prisoners had basically no connection to the outside world. They had no weapons that could be smuggled in, so they had to steal them from the Germans. Children that polished the German's shoes had to steal weapons from the armory day by day so the guards wouldn't notice. Then, once the Jewish men had the guns, SS soldiers were led to the barracks and killed on the spot. That was when the fight started. Every man was for himself. The Germans were outnumbered, but they had the military marksmanship. So, it didn't take long for the resistance to end. Some Jews did get get away, but they were usually caught again.
SECTION 3: Result
Most of the Jewish resistance ended once the war was over and all the concentration camps were liberated, but not all of the Jews just went home and didn't care. A lot of Jewish people stayed in groups and began to help others recover. Some went to Jerusalem, others stayed in Europe. But, they did whatever they could to help. They gave them shelter, helped orphans, fed them, bathed them, and clothed them. The Soviet Union, who helped the Jews during the war, actually wanted Jewish resistance groups disbanded, but the Jews didn't give up on helping others.
People who were leaders of the resistance during the war never stopped helping. People like Rozka Korczak went to Jerusalem and made Jewish religious leaders aware of the holocaust. Others went looking for family. But, because of the Jewish resistance, the holocaust will never be fogotten among the Jews or anyone in the world.