Holocaust Survivors and Retribution at the End of World War II

FAIN: FT-259726-18

Margarete Myers Feinstein
Loyola Marymount University (Los Angeles, CA 90045-2623)

Research and writing leading to publication of a book on Jewish revenge after the Holocaust.

This book chapter on Jewish revenge after the Holocaust shines a new light on the myth of Jewish passivity in response to Nazi persecution. It challenges popular perceptions of Holocaust survivors as spontaneous paragons of reconciliation and tolerance, suggesting instead that attitudes of reconciliation came later and with effort. By acknowledging the role of revenge in survivors' transition to post-genocide life, we can gain insights into their gendered responses to trauma and into the processes by which they sought to reclaim control over their lives. The influence of religious traditions and Zionist politics on survivors' decisions about revenge acts is also explored. This study suggests that Jewish responses may not have been so very different from that of other victims of Nazism. Scholars of other genocides can find it useful for comparison to teach us more about what promotes reconciliation and what fosters the desire for vengeance.