“Resistance is the act or power of resisting, opposing, or withstanding.” (Dictionary). The Holocaust occurred during World War II, when Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany. Millions of Jews were forced into Ghettos and concentration camps due to Hitler’s belief that Jewish people were hindrances for his ‘ideal world’. Jews endured inhumane treatments from the Nazis. Despite harsh conditions, many of the Jews resisted in various ways. During the Holocaust, Jews resisted in armed and unarmed forms of resistance to help them maintain their humanity. Resistance by Jews did not always require weapons. In fact, majority of the Jews resisted without the use of violence. “The Germans forbade religious services in most ghettos, so many Jews prayed and held ceremonies in secret cellars, attics, and backrooms—as others stood guard.” (“Spiritual Resistance”). Prayer and religious rituals helped the Jewish people maintain their cultural and spiritual identities despite their life in the Ghettos. Many Orthodox Jews opposed resistance through violence and believed prayer and religious ceremonies as the truest form of resistance. However, prayer and religious practices were not the only way Jews showed unarmed resistance. …show more content…
Documentation was a subtle form of resistance but very powerful. “Groups in many ghettos established secret archives and methodically wrote, collected, and stored reports, diaries, and documents about daily life in the ghettos.” (“Spiritual Resistance”). The Jews recorded the events of the Holocaust to present to others how they were being treated inside the Ghettos. These records created a history that humanity will never forget. Although, most Jews used unarmed resistances such as religious practices or recording documents, some resisted with