Faith & Fate
MIRACLE OF ISRAEL 1945 – 1948
LESSON 8 POGROMS AND ANTI-SEMITISM IN EUROPE AFTER WWII – EVEN AFTER THE HOLOCAUST
GOALS OF THE LESSON
- A. To understand why Jewish refugees in Europe had a particularly difficult time after WWII.
- B. To discuss what happened to most Jews who tried to return to their homes after World War II and why the reaction of the local population was so surprising.
- C. To explain how this reaction of the local non-Jews, especially in Poland, affected the situation regarding the Land of Israel.
View Video 2:48 min
SYNOPSIS OF FILM CLIP
The humanitarian crisis following World War II, with over one million refugees in Europe, presented a great economic and social challenge for the Allies. For those refugees who had to move out of their countries of origin in war-torn Europe, it was difficult enough – but for the Jewish refugees, mostly Holocaust survivors, the situation was far more dire. There was often no home to return to. For those who actually tried to enter their still standing homes after the Holocaust, many, faced anti-Semitic locals who prevented them from entering, -either because the locals had already taken over the premises, or simply to prevent the Jews from returning. This anti-Semitism extended across Europe, but was most pronounced in Poland. The Poles, even previously friendly neighbors, attacked the survivors who attempted to return. This phenomenon showed the 250,000 surviving Polish Jews that Poland was no longer a viable place for them to live, and almost all made plans to go to Palestine.
SUGGESTED QUESTIONS
- 1. Describe how and why the problems of Europe’s Jewish refugees were far more severe than non-Jewish refugees after WWII.
- 2. What happened when Jewish Holocaust survivors tried to return to their homes after the war? Why was this surprising?
- 3. How did the actions and reactions of the local non-Jews after the war help increase the Jewish population in Palestine and drive for Statehood?