Sexual Violence against Jewish Women during the Holocaust

by Sonja M. Hedgepeth (Editor), Rochelle G. Saidel (Editor)

Using testimonies, Nazi documents, memoirs, and artistic representations, this volume broadens and deepens comprehension of Jewish women’s experiences of rape and other forms of sexual violence during the Holocaust. The book goes beyond previous studies, and challenges claims that Jewish women were not sexually violated during the Holocaust. This anthology by an interdisciplinary and international group of scholars addresses topics such as rape, forced prostitution, assaults on childbearing, artistic representations of sexual violence, and psychological insights into survivor trauma. These subjects have been relegated to the edges or completely left out of Holocaust history, and this book aims to shift perceptions and promote new discourse.

Genres: History, Holocaust, Nonfiction, Feminism, Jewish, Judaism, War

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Dr. Sonja M. Hedgepeth is a Professor of German at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), where she has taught courses on the Holocaust since 1989.

Reviews

[Ellie Midwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is actually the second time that I’m reading this book. The first time I read it while doing research for my Holocaust novel which deals with the same subject and I remember how profoundly it affected me back then. The subject is still taboo. No one wants to talk about it - neither the victims nor the perpetrators. Most of the writers shy away from it. Even the majority of historians prefer to deal with “general” Holocaust positively refusing to acknowledge the painful truth: sexual violence against Jewish women was committed, it left multiple victims who had to deal with their pain silently and on their own, and it’s about time we talked about it openly.
In this meticulously researched study different scholars and historians investigate such subjects as rape itself, different aspects of sexual violence (such as having to undress in front of male officers, forced “personal searches,” selections during which women had to undress in front of SS doctors etc), forced prostitution, medical experiments including forced abortions and sterilization, sex in exchange for survival, and the representation of the subject in literature and in the movie industry. The book doesn’t deal solely with concentration camps; it also brings to light the testimonies of those who suffered in hiding, who had to submit to the partisans in exchange for shelter and safety, who suffered from the hands of the police, their own compatriots, and even fellow Jews.
What I also appreciated was the fact that the authors brought up such important matters as PTSD and the victims’ ways of dealing with their trauma; reasons why most of them chose to remain silent (due to patriarchal cultural views of society which still in our days chooses to victim-blame instead of blaming the perpetrator) and reasons why few rare ones chose to tell their stories.
I would highly recommend this book to everyone who is interested in the Holocaust and would like to learn all aspects of it, even such an uncomfortable one as this one. It’s not an easy read by all means but it’s a must-read nevertheless.

[John Crane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not what I had hoped it would be. Many of the articles are rather esoteric about pieces of literature that I have never read. Many of the articles try to discuss the frequency of sexual violence, but all conclude that there is no way to really know. I was hoping to get more information on the long-term effects of sexual violence on post-Holocaust PTSD and recovery. It is an ok book - and admirable in broaching the topic - but I hoped that it would have been more in-depth on more applicable topics.

[Elle Druskin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a new book that will be considered groundbreaking. As far as I know, this is the first collection of essays by a group of scholars to address this topic and should serve as a catalyst to future research.

[Lisa-Jaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harrowing as expected. However it is about time we researched and uncovered the taboo subjects of rape and enforced prostitution amongst other gender appropriate crimes. Many victims will not acknowledge it as having happened because of the stigma and victim shaming that still goes on. A lot of memoirs skirt over the issue and we need to document these issues for future generations. They need to know the full story of war and the atrocities committed in the holocaust.

[Edward Janes · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Sexual Violence Against Jewish Women During The Holocaust", Hedgepeth and Saidel, editors (2010, 308 pages).

Sixteen chapters researched and written by a group of renowned scholars explore and give voice to a taboo and dark topic.

[Ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like any anthology some essays will be better than others, but as a whole, this is a solid, harrowing collection.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Over the last few months I’ve read a lot of Holocaust literature, and this is easily one of the most brutal and disturbing books of them all. I wish I could write a longer review, but I don’t feel up to it. I had to pace myself because article is so draining. The Flaschka, Sinnreich, and Amesberger chapters stand out in particular. Horrific and unfathomable. Reaffirms the importance of studying women & gender history and paying attention to what Waxman called the “gendered nature of lived experience” (131).

[Kitty Red-Eye · Rating 3 out of 5]

The idea to study in particular sexualized violence against women in wartime and even more particularly during the Holocaust is an honorable idea and I don't want to rate the book as such, more like a general rating for the interested reader. It's "too scholarly" (well, that's the point of the book) for casual reading, and the extremely depressing subject doesn't help. But I'm glad I have this in my shelf.

[Natasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book, but a little to heavy on the feminist agenda and a little too light on survivor's experiences.

[Beverley Chalmers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Congratulations on undertaking this challenging subject.