1) For the several decades up to 1933 analyze the situation of German Jews in terms of security and vulnerability
The Jews in Western Europe were often abhorrent to the point of being killed and even getting robbed. Prior to 1933, the life of the Jews was not a bed of roses. On numerous occasions, they were driven from theory homes, their properties were seized and their culture was usually attacked. They were not allowed to enter some cultural group gatherings and were also not allowed to occupy some positions in the government. Their security was at a risk and was often persecuted in many nations across the globe. However, Prussia which was a state in Germany was the most forbearing of the Jews in Europe. In this state, the Jews occupied important positions in the military and in the government. In 1870, a new law was passed that restricted the Jews from occupying certain offices in the country. Even though there was some tolerance for the Jews before 1933 when Hitler came to power, Hitler began a program that could further restrict the Jews in Germany. Special taxes were then imposed on them and they opted for fleeing the country. They could not enter some of the countries like the US as they were restricted from such countries too. In summary, the Jews in Germany prior to 1933 enjoyed some privileges like the provision of security. However, in other countries cross the globe, they were vulnerable to all sorts of injustices. When Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933, the situation got worse and their security was at a risk. Their children were the most vulnerable as they were subjected to various forms of injustices among them being executed.
2) What, according to Gilman, is a stereotype?
According to Gilman who is a psychoanalytically-oriented humanist, the representation of stereotypes is not accurate but just a mere protrusion of one another. He states that the stereotypes are not actually the perfect representations of groups but usually arise as a means of explaining and justifying the differences between groups or system justification. The social status or the group position usually establishes the content of the stereotype and not the actual characteristics of the group members. The groups that have fewer social and economic opportunities are stereotyped in a way that will help to explain the disproportion that the group may be undergoing. The disadvantaged groups usually have a lot of problems trying to find job opportunities or obtaining some social privileges from the community. They are often exposed to racism, favoritism and other social injustices aimed at thwarting their efforts to prosper. The stereotypes also exaggerate the difference between groups. They minimize similarities and maximize on the difference between the groups.
ii. Consider specific stereotypes of the Jews in Germany (or Europe) as he analyzes them?
According to Gilman, there was an emerging concept of self hatred whereby the Jews had some stereotypes attached to other Jews in different parts of Europe and even America. The Jews went through some difficult circumstances and some Jews rejected the traditional philosophies that were held by the Jewish nationhood. This was a sense of self-denial as the Jewish tried to identify themselves with the Germans by practicing the Mosaic Law/ faith. The struggled so that they could be assimilated into the German system. A good number of the German Jews shifted their focus from assimilation to self-determination.
iii. Does similar stereotyping appear behind the violence directed against African Americans in the US from the late nineteenth into the early twentieth century?
On contrary, the stereotypes that were experienced by the African American were quite different from the ones experienced by the German Jews in Germany in the 19th century and early 20th century. In America for instance, the stereotypes were generalizations about the characters of the African American which was extracted from the way the Americans viewed the slaves. African- American stereotypes however, allow the user not to know the person individually since he/she is bound to be proved wrong. This is because most of the stereotypes are false and cannot be proved to exist on an individual African-American. Most of the African-American stereotypes are used negatively even though in some cases there are positive stereotypes about this group. They are therefore used by people who are not of African American origin to portray the African Americans negatively. This type of stereotyping is also different from the ones in Germany whereby the Jews could stereotype against their own. In America, the African Americans do not stereotype against their own group.
3) Following Browning, how would you describe the basic conditions, attitudes and emotions, and survival strategies of Jewish workers in the period of the Holocaust?
The Holocaust period was a genocide period whereby about six million European Jews were killed. It was conducted under the sanctioning of the Nazi Germany which was led by Adolf Hitler. The Jews were subjected to massive killings by the Nazi government. However, despite the suffering and the brutal killings, the Jews still had a strong will to live and therefore used all the tactics that they could in order to ensure their survival. There were two important ways that the Jews used in order to avoid being deported to the death camps. They could resolve to go into hiding or acquiring protected status. However, acquiring the protected status was not open to everyone. It was an option only available to the Jews who had German Nationality. The Jews also responded by using traditional solutions like paying some fees and fines, renewing their spirituality and also in some cases they opted for emigration. The option that proved to be the most effective was emigration.
However, the groups that could move were also restricted. Emigration was only open young adults and single people. These restrictions were imposed by the receiving countries. Therefore other survival strategies had to be formulated instead. The Jews also tried using armed resistance in order to protect themselves as the last option but this could not bear much fruits since they did not have adequate access to the firearms. Compliance was also a strategy that was employed by the Jews in order to ensure their survival.
Endurance through the suffering was utilized by a number of them to ensure their existence. Others made daring attempts of escape from the concentration camps that were either successful or dreadfully unsuccessful. The ones who were unsuccessful were however brutally killed. Some of them however, chose to die with dignity as a form of resistance to the intimidating, dehumanizing acts of the Nazi to the Jewish community. Some Jews decided to smuggle food and supplies into the ghettos in order to ensure the survival of their fellow Jews. In the process, some were detained while others were gunned down as well as children aged five to ten. Despite the cruelty of this enormity, the Jews kept on in smuggling the goods without stopping. This was done: across the walls of the ghettos, at the exit points, through the houses on borderline, through underground tunnels and even sewers.
Other Jews on the other hand, decided to hide between the Germans and chose not to live in the ghettos. They used false documentation and physical make-ups to conceal their identity. They used some Germans to prove their legitimacy. Some Jews also resorted into negotiating with the Nazi officials and in some cases they offered bribes so that they could not be killed. The Jews used all forms of survival tactics so that they could survive. In some cases when the Jews felt overwhelmed, they decided to engage the Nazi forces into military confrontation. However, this did not have much success since they did not have sufficient weaponry to engage in a fight with the Nazi troops.
Work Cited List
Jewish Gen. Sobibor Extermination Camp. 2009 f
Hilberg R. The Destruction of the European Jews Sage Publications 2006
Kimel A. “HOLOCAUST UNDERSTANDING & PREVENTION 09, 2009
Robinson J. & Judenrat T. I. (ED) The Jewish Councils in Eastern Europe under Nazi Occupation, with an introduction New York: Macmillan, 1972.
