Women in the Holocaust

by Dalia Ofer (Editor), Lenore J. Weitzman (Editor)

As Jews throughout Europe faced Nazi persecution, Jewish women-wives, daughters, mothers-encountered special problems and had particular vulnerabilities. This is the first book of original scholarship devoted to women in the Holocaust. Testimonies of Holocaust survivors and chapters by eminent historians, sociologists, and literary experts shed light on women's lives in the ghettos, the Jewish resistance movement, and the concentration camps. By examining women's unique responses, their incredible resourcefulness, their courage and their suffering, the book enhances our understanding of the experiences of all Jews during the Nazi era. "A pioneering book."-Saul Friedländer, UCLA and Tel Aviv University "The cutting edge of Holocaust Studies."-Wall Street Journal "A major contribution to our understanding."-Times (London) "An excellent book that shows how the study of gender can deepen our understanding of the Holocaust."-Michael Berenbaum, President, Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation "The astonishing strengths and resilience of women in these studies seem to rise out."-Forward

Genres: History, Holocaust, Nonfiction

416 pages, Paperback

First published March 30, 1998

Reviews

[Caley Brennan]

An excellent collection of detailed accounts of Jewish women’s experiences of the Holocaust, from the beginning of Nazi antisemitism to survivor stories and depiction of women in Holocaust literature. It does a remarkable job at focusing on the gender-specific experiences of women during this period while also reflecting the fact that the Nazis’ genocidal intent towards all Jews was the same, regardless of gender.

[Mollie Carson]

incredible work. i understand why Langer's chapter was included but i found myself raging the whole time: you're describing a gendered experience while arguing we shouldn't consider gendered experience! to view the unique experience of women in a unique event is critical to understand the event itself! anyways, Ofer and Weitzman put together a really strong collection of essays and testimony that are foundational to my own work and I'm thankful they fought to explore women's experiences in a feminist lens.

[Lisa]

An excellent book for viewing the Holocaust through a different lens. I had my reservations about this book at first, but it grabbed my attention early and held on until the last page. I feel much enlightened after completing this book. It manages to address the sensitive subject of the Holocaust from a female perspective without the feminist attitude and without lessening or denigrating other perspectives. Well done!

[Jerra Runnels]

This book is so sad. I read it as part of a historiography on the sterilization and eugenic policies of the Nazi regime. This book brings a much needed voice to the millions of Jewish women who were victimized.