Resistance during the Holocaust: An Exploration of the Jewish Partisans

Too often, students of the Holocaust are left with the impression that Jews were simply helpless victims, lacking the courage or means to fight back. In fact, Jewish resistance against antisemitism and Nazi oppression occurred in every way imaginable, ranging from bold acts of defiance and altruism to armed resistance. 

In this unit, we focus on resistance as seen through the lens of the firsthand experiences of Jewish partisans, the women and men who fought in the armies of the Allies and the Soviet Union and in resistance brigades across Eastern Europe. Students will explore partisans’ lives, struggles, motivations, and goals through text- and video-based testimony, poetry, documentary film, and other primary sources. 

The activities included in this unit will deepen students’ knowledge of the Holocaust through an exploration of different acts of Jewish resistance, encouraging in the process the development of critical analysis and interpersonal communication skills as well as complicating their thinking about issues of identity and ethics during times of injustice and genocide. 

Learning Goals

• Students will be able to define the concept of resistance and understand the term “Jewish partisan.”
• Students will understand that the Jewish partisans played an important role in the resistance movement during the Holocaust.
• Students will understand that circumstances can complicate our ethics and identity and can influence the choices we make.