[ Modiya > Holocaust > Judaism during the Holocaust ]
Topic: Judaism during the Holocaust
Screenshot of the Masthead for the website of the Serena Abeles Raab Holocaust Education Center, Michlalah-Jerusalem College, Israel. Founded in 1994, the center offers teacher training and media resources on Holocaust education that emphasize “Jewish values, religious steadfastness during the Holocaust, and historical sources that reflect spiritual resistance.”
How did Jews practice their religion during the Holocaust? How did they gather together for ritual purposes when it was against the Nazi law? What aspects of religious life were maintained? In what way did they communicate with each other about religious matters?
In this topic, sample rabbinical Responsa during the Holocaust are examined, demonstrating the depth of religious sentiments among observant Jews.
Certain religious objects have been accorded the status of inspirational, if not life saving/preserving artifacts, according to survivor testimonies. What status do these artifacts have now? How do Holocaust museums position miracle-working objects (religious objects and those that have become objects of awe)?
Special prayers were written in ghettos and camps such as this one recited in Lodz ghetto synagogues, and written by an unknown author.
An example of religious literature can be found in Hasidic Tales of the Holocaust, by Yaffa Eliach.
Artists such as Helga Weissova have documented secret religious ceremonies in ghettos such as Theresienstadt and in camps.