Jewish Resistance and the Holocaust
From armed confrontation to religious defiance, Jews fought back against the perpetrators of the Holocaust.
Curated by Deborah Dash Moore and Noam Pianko
Weapons, Written Words, and Religious Defiance
During the Holocaust, Jews resisted with weapons, paper, pen, archives, schools, smuggling, and a variety of other brave efforts to demonstrate human dignity in the face of annihilation. These sources highlight several forms of resistance, from Abba Kovner’s call to armed confrontation, to written documentation from the prison cell diary of Gusta Dawidsohn-Draenger, to the defiant Warsaw ghetto sermons of Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Shapira.
Women’s Auxiliary Air Force Recruitment Poster
The Holy Fire
Justyna’s Diary
Never Say
Call to Arms
Yizkor, 1943
Non omnis moriar
Post-Holocaust Resistance
Resistance against Nazi efforts to exterminate millions of Jews did not end with the defeat of Germany at the end of World War II. Survivors and postwar Jewish leaders concerned about the endurance of antisemitism and the changing historical narrative of the Holocaust continued to grapple with the internal and collective reverberations of genocide. The legacy of resistance surfaces in debates about whether to bring children into the world, how to respond to Holocaust denial, and efforts to expand Holocaust narratives to underscore the particular plight of women.
Kaddish for a Child Not Born
History on Trial: My Day in Court with David Irving
The Unethical and the Unspeakable: Women and the Holocaust
Other Curated Collections
Gender Roles
Engage with the gendered dimensions of Jewish life and discover lost voices of Jewish women.
Passover Across Jewish Time and Space
Passover is the most celebrated holiday for American Jews. Yet, few appreciate the historical evolution and diversity of its key themes and messages.
Jewish Perspectives on Reproductive Rights
Since Roe v. Wade was overturned in June of 2022, abortion’s political, religious, and social impact has been at the forefront of political debate in the United States.