Stealth Altruism: Forbidden Care as Jewish Resistance in the Holocaust

356 Pages·2017·2.94 MB·English

by  Arthur B. Shostak

I have heard first-hand stories of altruistic giving and incredible mutual
assistance, and I admire your dedication to focusing on the positive.
—Chaim Waxman, Professor Emeritus of Sociology and
Jewish Studies, Rutgers University; Senior Fellow,
Van Leer Jerusalem Institute.
Art Shostak has provided a healthy antidote to the “poor us” self-pity
of much of modern Jewish identity. He has deconstructed the negative
Nazi narrative of the Holocaust and reconstructed a new, affirmative
Jewish narrative . . . a story of Jewish dignity and grace and humanity
in the face of the worst terror in human history. When you read these
stories you are not depressed, you are uplifted.
—Tsvi Bisk, Israeli; author among other books of The Suicide
of the Jews: A Cautionary Tale (2015).
Your work makes a strong case for giving much needed attention to
CareSharers. In fact, those people who provided acts of kindness and
compassion, even at risk of cruelty and death, are the heroes who allow
us to maintain moral balance and our faith in humankind. Your strong
research and writing make this very clear, and provides a needed con-
tribution to Holocaust and general humanities literature.
—Jacqueline Silver, EdD, Seattle, Washington; author of
…and yet They Learned: Education of Jewish Children in
Nazi Occupied Areas between 1933 and 1945 (2016).
The book shifts attention from the atrociousness of the perpetrators
to the resilience of the victims, and provides a fascinating case study
of altruism, morality, and social solidarity under extreme conditions.
—Shai Dromi, Lecturer in Sociology, Harvard University.
What a wonderful idea, giving examples of man’s humanity under ter-
rible circumstances some well-deserved recognition . . . they fill gaps
without which the history of this period is incomplete and, maybe more
important, inaccurate. These stories capture an inspiring side of what
humans are capable of during a period when history records mostly
the other end of the spectrum.
—Lyn Cramer, amateur historian, Oakmont,
California.
I think it will become a classic. . . . Shostak highlights Jews who left us
as a legacy a timeless model of upstander behavior worth emulation
worldwide.
—Diana Mara Henry, MA (Brandeis, 2000),
independent scholar.

First published 2017 by Transaction Publishers
Published 2017 by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017, USA
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
Copyright © 2017 by Taylor & Francis
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in
any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publishers.
Notice:
Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and
are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.
Library of Congress Catalog Number: 2016049025
ISBN: 978-1-4128-6503-6 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-4128-6560-9 (pbk)
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record for this book has been requested
Dedicated to my wife,
Lynn Seng,
whose ideas have enriched this project,
whose collaboration made a
finer manuscript possible,
and whose love
has always
made
all the difference.
Royalties after expenses have been assigned to Yad Layeled,
the Children’s Museum in Beit Lohamei Hagetaot, Western Galilee, Israel.

Contents
Preface xi
Acknowledgments xxi
Introduction xxv
Part I. Motivators of Consequence 1
1 Altruism and Stealth Altruism 5
2 Judaism and Stealth Altruism 17
Part II. Pre-camp Horror and Help 29
3 Prewar Germany 33
4 War-Torn Europe 43
Part III. Unearthly “Planets” 57
5 Nazi Camps 61
Profile: Theresienstadt 76
6 Horror Story 87
7 Predators and Isolates 99
Part IV. Amidah 109
8 Stealth Altruism under Wraps 113
9 Stealth Altruism in the Open 121
Profile: A New Perception of the
Holocaust, Betty Bleicher, LCSW 133
Part V. Carers 139
10 Jewish Menschen 143
Profile: Camp Doctor and Nurse 156
11 Carers Up Close 163