The Survivors: Where do They Go?

The Survivors: Where Did They Go?

Given that the Holocaust was one of the most significant events of the twentieth-century, of course this topic is covered in public schools education to this day. However, the information provided in these classes and the perspective given to these students, is not the entirety of the events that unfolded. The conceptual understanding in today’s society continues to leave out and diminish just how insufferable the effects of the Holocaust were on Jewish people and their society as a whole. Going back and tying in previous blog posts, this recurring theme of displaced persons (DPs) seems to be a constantly diminished topic from the postwar era, as the hardships these people were forced to endure have been left out of mainstream history. Additionally, the struggles felt by Jewish people during the war as they were fleeing their homes in hopes of freedom from religious persecution from the German Nazis. These Jewish people were left with few options available to them, as they were left to literally run for their lives, with each choice containing a variety of pros and cons, and unique circumstances. 

One of the main options that these Jewish people in this time period chose to follow was this approach of Zionism. Therefore, this idea of Zionism is based on the idea that all Jewish people belong together and if they are the only members of the nation they live in, then they are not able to be religiously persecuted. This led to a serious number of Jewish people immigrating to Jerusalem, and in what was at the time Palestine. Although they had not been given their own state yet, these Jewish people were creating their own nation in this area, along the lines of the Zionist beliefs. 

However all was not well, as there were a significant number of immigrants who only chose to make this new nation their home, because they had no choice. This is outlined in Tom Segev’s, ‘The Streets are Paved With Money’, which states, “The Zionist dream conceived of a ‘new man’ in a new society, who would come to the Land of Israel in search of personal and national salvation. Those who only came because they had no other choice, however, did not fit this image and often found themselves objects of condescension and contempt” (Segev, p. 34). This excerpt from Segev truly highlights some of the underlying issues that come with this yishuv lifestyle. Throughout this whole chapter, Segev is emphasizing this idea that this Zionist approach for Jewish DP’s was not always what they truly wanted. Although there were plenty of Jewish-Zionist people who immigrated to what is now present day Israel, to fulfill their dreams, there was also a considerable amount of Jewish people who had no real symbollic interest in moving to Israel, but did so out of necessity. This thought that Segev is bringing attention to is one that I found particularly, and one that I had never even considered, even though I was familiar with Zionism. 

On the other hand, this concept of Zionism was able to fulfill the needs of the Jewish people, and more. This particular faith and group of people have been historically persecuted and attacked for their faith over the past two millennia. Therefore, this Zionist idea of a sense of unity and togetherness served as the light at the end of the tunnel for these people. The Jewish people were in desperate need of a place to call home, and a place where they could be in company with one another.

A source that can further emphasize these points is, ‘Living in Landsberg, Dream of Deganiah’, by Avinoam J. Patt. For example, Patt goes onto further this point by mentioning hope associated with Zionism, “However, even without the retroactive knowledge that the State of Israel would ultimately be created, Zionism was highly successful in filling a positive function for DP youths in the aftermath of the Holocaust by providing a secure environment for vocational training, education, and rehabilitation and a surrogate family that could ultimately restore their belief in humanity” (Patt, p. 123). The point Patt is now trying to make is that Zionism was able to persevere through the issues of those DP’s who just immigrated to Israel for the sake of immigrating, and still be a success. Additionally, Patt is going on to point out the importance of the youths who were DP’s and immigrated to Israel. This concept was particularly important in the long-term future of Israel, as these DP youths went on to lead the country forward into a new era.

The Mass Migration to Israel of the 1950s

This image shows children who are currently placed in DP camps, who will hopefully be making their way to safety, where they will be free from the religious persecution that has plagued their early life. Whether that safety be in Jerusalem which would become Israel, or some place else, these children deserve freedom and safety from oppression. The points being made by Segev were certainly true, it seems very likely that there were DP people who were there solely because they had no other options, however the article from Patt just struck me as more powerful. In any case, these Jewish DP’s have been historically disenfranchised, and deserve to have their stories told. The world deserves to know the horrid struggles these people were forced to endure.