The Rescuers And Aid For Jews During The Holocaust

In studying the rescuers and aid to Jews during the Holocaust, there are few, if any, factors that prove to universally explain why people decided to help. These people defied most demographics; class, country, religion, and even included anti-Semites, though economic and practical determinations were involved so much as one’s ability to help is determined by economic/practical restraints. Even so, most, if not all, of these people did have the propensity for helping and service to other prior to helping Jews of the Holocaust. Nechama Tec and later Perry Lendon found this to be true, showing that in these people was an instinct to help, regardless of their feelings towards Jews. This characteristic coincided with independent, self-reliant people who felt less attached to social demands and saw helping as a fact rather than heroic act. While these characterize individuals, the level at which specific countries were willing to help Jews did differ. Denmark and Bulgaria helped mo re than countries like Romania. In Denmark, there were a smaller amount of Jews and most were already assimilated into society before the Nazis came in. This allowed them to easily blend and hid within Denmark, and eventually Jews were helped to escape in 1943 as the Nazi encroached into Denmark. Hungary, on the other hand, held intense anti-Semitic views, but chose to help Jews (somewhat) because they did not believe in the methodology used by the Nazis against Jews. Hungary refused deportationsShow MoreRelatedRighteous Gentiles1026 Words   |  5 Pagesthose non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. The title is used informally as referring to anyone considered to be a savior of Jews, but it has an official role in the Israeli program of Holocaust remembrance, administered by Yad Vashem. The criteria established by Yad Vashem include the following: — â€Å"The rescuer ensured the survival of a Jew or Jews by extending aid to them when they were in danger of being killed or sent to a concentration camp; — The rescuer knew thatRead MoreMarion Hid A Unique Individual1078 Words   |  5 Pagesstory. She was tasked with hiding a Jewish male ballerina named Karel Poons. During the holocaust Germans would come raid houses to see if they were hiding anyone. The Germans would come at night because they had figured out that they could look and if there were more beds slept in than there were people they would know they were hiding a Jew. So the rescuers combated this by putting a Jew in the same bed with one of the rescuers. Karel was gay, which made him even more of a target for the Germans. HeRead MoreThe First Anti Semitic Act Essay1329 Words   |  6 PagesThe first anti-Semitic act was after Jesus was put to death by Roman authorities. However, the gospel accounts were interpreted as blaming all Jews for the crucifixion. After the crucifixion, Roman armies destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem. Jewish people were exiled an d looked as agents of the devil and murderers of God. Jewish people were being dehumanized by being restricted from owning land and having occupations because of state and church laws. In the 1900’s, another lie was presented that JewishRead More When Light Pierced the Darkness by Nechama Tec Essay3070 Words   |  13 Pages(American 99). In her book entitled When Light Pierced the Darkness, Nechama Tec asserts that people who aided Jews during the Nazi Holocaust may have acted altruistically; however, they did so under a modified definition of altruism. Furthermore, she offers her own definition of altruism within the context of the Holocaust and designates six traits, which she found rescuers of Jews to exhibit. While many of these traits are apparent in the personalities of characters in the films: Shop on MainRead MorePinchas Tibor Rosenbaum: Holocaust Hero 2659 Words   |  11 PagesRosenbaum whose individual heroic actions during the Holocaust resulted in the legac y of the lives of approximately a thousand Jews and a pattern of humanity for generations to come. Just prior to World War II, persecution of the Jews began with changes in civil law, which increasingly restricted their opportunities and participation in society. According to Marion A. Kaplan, author of Between Dignity and Despair, Nazi-controlled governments confiscated Jews’ â€Å"personal property and limited food and