The Judenräte's role in the holocaust

Term Paper , 2004 , 7 Pages , Grade: 1,7

History of Germany - National Socialism, World War II

Historically the question of theJudenräte'srole in the holocaust has long been debated. One of the views taken is that, "the Judenräte were forced to become an instrument of the anti-Jewish policies of the authorities. The blows of the Nazis were struck at the Jews through the Judenräte,which acted as an involuntary agent of the occupation in the Jewish community." Yet at the same time others are inclined to view the Judenräte more favourably as an organization that made every effort to save as many people as possible. It is also important to remember thatJ udenräte operated differently within individual ghettos. While some Judenräte chairmen have been remembered in a positive light others have been largely vilified. When the Judenräte were first established, their members were unaware of the Nazis ultimate plans and concerned themselves primarily with the day to day operations of life within the ghetto. Food distribution, work permits, housing needs, generation of finances, these were all major concerns within the ghetto walls. As the horrific nature of Nazi plans became clear many Judenräte focused on saving as many people as possible. Of the labour forces created by the Judenräte Hilberg states: "The factories bought time for tens of thousands, but the Jews were playing a determined game in which the outcome was always under German control." However, in order to save lives,Judenräte were often put in the impossible position of creating a list of those who would be deported to their death. Some Judenräte refused to sacrifice any Jewish lives. Sadly, in the end the decision was taken out of their hands by the Nazis who did not require the Judenrat'sapproval in order to go about their grisly work. Many have argued that regardless of the perceived individual level of collaboration within the varying Judenräte,their very existence was the ultimate form of collaboration. They were entrusted with maintaining order within the ghettos, they created schools, set up newspapers, maintained cultural traditions, at the very moment as the Nazis were formulating plans for their mass murder. As Jewish councils attempted to reconstruct to some degree the trappings of normal life, the Nazis were drawing up the blue prints for the concentration camps.

Table of Contents

• The Judenräte's role in the holocaust
• Some argue that the very existence of the Judenräte served to perpetrate the myth that the ghettos were the last step in Nazi atrocities against the Jews instead of the jumping off point from which much greater atrocities would spring, and that the maintaining of order made it much easier for the Nazis to deport Jews to the extermination camps.
• Within two different Judenräte, which shall be analysed in the following part of this paper, two very different responses to Nazi occupation can be found.
• Mordechai Chaim Rumkowski
• At the beginning of the Nazi occupation of Lodz there were 233,000 Jews in the city.
• Through his control of the food supply, Rumkowski was able to exert a tremendous amount of force on the ghetto inhabitants.
• In Baranowicze the Judenrat approached the running of the ghetto and their negotiations with the Germans in an entirely different way.
• The original chairman of the ghetto, Jehoshua Izykson, was appointed by the community to deal with Nazi officials, and was later appointed the head of the Judenrat.
• When the Nazis requested from Izykson, as they had from other Judenräte officials, a list of the elderly and infirm he refused to provide one, reiterating his commitment to the preservation of human life.
• The two subsequent Judenrat chairmen, Jankielewicz and Goldberg, also governed the ghetto in an extremely humane manner, defying the Nazis by giving aid to partisan groups and encouraging Jews to flee the ghetto for the forest.

Objectives and Key Themes

This essay examines the role of the Judenräte in the Holocaust, focusing on the extent to which they acted as involuntary agents of the Nazi occupation. It analyzes the Judenräte's actions and their impact on the Jewish community within the context of the Nazi regime's anti-Jewish policies.

• The complex relationship between the Judenräte and the Nazi authorities
• The Judenräte's efforts to maintain order and provide essential services within the ghettos
• The ethical dilemmas faced by Judenräte leaders in navigating the demands of the Nazi regime
• The contrasting responses of different Judenräte to Nazi occupation
• The impact of the Judenräte's actions on the Jewish community during the Holocaust

Chapter Summaries

The essay begins by examining the historical context of the Judenräte, outlining the different perspectives on their role in the Holocaust. The author then delves into the specific cases of the Lodz and Baranovichi ghettos, highlighting the contrasting approaches of their respective Judenräte. The Lodz ghetto, led by Mordechai Chaim Rumkowski, is portrayed as an example of collaboration, while the Baranovichi ghetto, under the leadership of Jehoshua Izykson, exemplifies resistance. Both cases illustrate the difficult choices and ethical dilemmas faced by Judenräte leaders during the Holocaust.

Keywords

Judenräte, Holocaust, Nazi occupation, collaboration, resistance, ghettos, ethical dilemmas, Jewish community, Lodz, Baranovichi, Mordechai Chaim Rumkowski, Jehoshua Izykson.

• College: University of Cape Town (Department of History / Jewish Studies Centre)
• Course: The Holocaust
• Grade: 1,7
• Author: Florian Seidl (Author)
• Publication Year: 2004
• Pages: 7
• Catalog Number: V57882
• ISBN (eBook): 9783638522052
• ISBN (Book): 9783656789758
• Language: English
• Tags: Judenräte, Holocaust