It is best that this unit be taught in sequence, after students have learned about life in the ghettos (Unit 4) and the “Final Solution” (Unit 5) and have an understanding of the brutal repression under which European Jews existed during the Holocaust. Without this critical context, students may not appreciate the perilous risk involved in even the smallest acts of defiance, the daring and resourcefulness it took to plan armed revolts, and the significance of spiritual and cultural acts of resistance, such as holding a concert in the ghetto or fasting on a high holiday in a concentration camp. It is only once students understand the circumstances surrounding these acts of resistance that they can truly understand how incredible they were.

It is important to address the myth of Jewish passivity during the Holocaust. In his manifesto distributed to residents of the Vilna ghetto, Abba Kovner urged his fellow Jews to “not go like sheep to the slaughter.” Over time, this entreaty has been misrepresented to claim that “Jews went like sheep to the slaughter.” In fact, Jews resisted in myriad and untold ways, from sabotage and armed revolt to spiritual forms of resistance that allowed them to preserve their humanity in the face of unimaginable degradation.

Active or armed resistance refers to acts of opposition, defiance, or sabotage, often using weapons and various forms of attack. Examples include uprisings, bombings of Nazi facilities, destruction of train tracks, forging false papers, and smuggling supplies. Spiritual resistance refers to acts of opposition rooted in culture, traditions, and moral behavior to undermine Nazi power, preserve human dignity, and inspire hope. Examples include clandestine schools, concerts, underground newspapers, documenting ghetto and camp history, sharing food rations, and maintaining religious customs.