Dana Barber

Professor Wertz-Orbaugh
UWRT 1102-009
15 April 2015
Facing the Holocaust: The Womens Experience
Throughout the semester, my inquiry work has been focused on women in the Holocaust,
a topic I have found truly interesting. My research review covers part of a large amount of
information I have learned through my inquiry. While researching, it became clear to me that
there is a larger story to be told by the brave women who fought through the tragic Holocaust
and performed the impossible to ensure their survival. Ive read stories of sacrifice, bravery,
decisions, and much more all from the accounts of women in the Holocaust who have been
previously overlooked. Their stories are no less than inspirational, and writing about their
experiences will never be a justifiable comparison to the actual tragedy. However, we can learn
from these women and try our best to understand what the Holocaust must have been like for
them. Women who faced suffering during the Holocaust had to adopt certain gender roles outside
their norm, overcome physical and mental hardships, and make impossible decisions all while
trying to stay alive in such a hellish environment. Lisa Pines Gender and Holocaust: A
Reappraisal and David Pattersons The Moral Dilemma of Motherhood in the Nazi Death Camps
have both been great sources in my inquiry work, which focus on these sufferings. Pine focuses
on the differing roles men and women accepted at the outbreak of the Holocaust. She extends her
writing to include facts related to issues and feelings women faced specifically. David Patterson,
on the other hand, takes a different focus in his work and mainly discusses the problems of
pregnant women in concentration camps. Moreover, each author provided a unique perspective
of women and their experiences in the midst of the Holocaust.

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My first source was very useful to the start of my inquiry work. Lisa Pine does a
commendable job speaking on the topic of women and the Holocaust in her article, Gender and
Holocaust Victims: A Reappraisal. Pine effectively distinguishes the different roles men and
women took in order to help guide them through the disaster that was unfolding before them. She
expresses how many women had to go beyond their normal household tasks to compensate for
the unemployment many of their Jewish husbands faced. While living in the ghetto, women took
it upon themselves to keep up the spirits of those in their families as well as doing whatever was
necessary to try and maintain a sense of normalcy in the home (Pine 124). I found it important to
recognize these newly found responsibilities women embraced because they show the beginning
of a larger transformation that was about to take place in their lives as well as represent key
characteristics women would carry with them to the camps.
Gender role was not the only significant aspect of the Holocaust of which Pine discusses.
She also touches on a subject that many other authors are afraid to discuss: menstruation. Solely
women were faced with handling this biological process in the camps resulting in emotional
humiliation as well as fear. Humiliation was evident because while in these camps, the women
had nothing to prevent blood from flowing, thus leaving them with a sense of embarrassment.
Many of these women also had reasons to fear. Due to the extreme living conditions in the
Holocaust camps, women eventually stopped menstruating altogether. Because of this, many
women were afraid that they would no longer be able to bear children in the future (Pine 133134). Unfortunately, this entire situation was a depressing reality for many women and I was
actually surprised to see that Pine talked about such a sensitive topic. However, I felt that by
reading more into this, I had a deeper understanding into the lives of the women because this is a
situation I could specifically imagine and understand. I also found that as an inquirer, reading a

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topic so many are afraid to speak of, it brought a new validity to Pines writing. Pine accepts the
full reality of women and doesnt shy away from telling the entire experience women faced.
I found it intriguing that Pine dives into the emotions of the women; it provides more
realism as well as an ability to try and understand what the women were feeling. She does this by
speaking on how men and women both suffered emotionally, though it was in different ways. For
example, upon arrival to a concentration camps, it was custom for the SS officers to shave the
heads of all inmates, regardless of the gender. Although it was experienced by both sexes, it was
a more traumatic affair for women. In her article, Pine accounts, Whilst all prisoners were
deeply ashamed by this measure, for women this was a blow to their feelings of femininity and to
their sexual identity. Isabelle Choko relates that, at Auschwitz, at the precise moment my head
was shaved, I ceased to exist as a human being (qtd. In Pine 133). I think this quote given by
Isabelle Choko is a powerful statement showing first handedly the emotional distress women
faced when they no longer had their hair. It became clear to me how emotionally draining a
womans experience was, from the start of life in the ghettos to the horrors brought on in the
concentration camps. Pine thoroughly and undoubtedly brings to life the trials of women proving
to be a very beneficial source to my inquiry of women in the Holocaust.
As I continued with my inquiry, I found myself reading more into issues that had arisen
for women. One being the effect of having children or becoming pregnant in a concentration
camp or ghetto. Fortunately, I came across David Pattersons The Moral Dilemma of
Motherhood in the Nazi Death Camps which was a great source that let me see an in depth look
at the reason some women had children and why others did not. In the start of his writing,
Patterson notes that in November of 1941, Jews had been prohibited from having any children. If
a woman happened to become pregnant after this time or if a woman was already pregnant when

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this law came out she would have to abort her baby. This was the case for all women who were
three months along or less because pregnancy was now considered a crime. What I found even
more distressing was the fact that if a child happened to be born alive, he or she would be killed,
usually in front of the mother (Patterson 7-8). Patterson puts a quote into his writing from
Avraham Tory that I thought effectively expressed the deep horrors which came along with the
strong love mothers felt for their children. Tory says, "It was terrible to watch the women
getting on the truck; they held in their arms babies of different ages and wrapped in more and
more sweaters so that they would not catch cold on the way [to their death] !" (qtd. in Patterson
18). The heartbreaking irony in this statement is beyond words and as an inquirer it left me
feeling almost sick. However, I felt that it was a definite key element in Pattersons writing
because it shows how these women held tight to their little ones with so much love and
commitment that no one, not even the Nazis, were going to take that away from them. It brings
everything to a more relatable and humane level.
One of the more surprising parts I found in my inquiry work was Pattersons talk on the
justification of killing babies. He brings up the point that most people killed infants in order to
save their own lives. For example, there were situations in which several families were placed in
hiding together and the threat of a baby crying was a major issue. Many families forced mothers
and fathers of infants to strangle their child in order prevent any chance of the baby wailing and
giving up the hiding position they were in. The sad truth being that many of these parents
committed this murder and in many cases, were found anyway (Patterson 18-19).
Patterson also speaks on pregnant women in the camps. Throughout my inquiry, I
learned that a specific job of some women were to act as doctors but with a twist. They were to
kill the babies as soon as they were born. Patterson notes the justification that can be made here

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is that in most cases, these women were trying to save the lives of the mother. They knew the
prohibition rules against pregnancy and believed that by killing the baby, they could at least save
the life of the mother (Patterson 19). Dr. Perl is an example of someone who was in charge of
killing infants as they were born. However, this did not come without any consciousness
repercussions. She speaks of a specific incident in which it was especially hard for her to kill a
newborn. It took two days for Perl to come to the conclusion that in order to save her life, the life
of the mother, as well as the lives of the other pregnant women, death was the only option for the
baby. Even though, Perl had done this procedure many times before, she still hesitated (Patterson
17). This goes to show how these women continued to face moral dilemma but it did not
necessarily mean it became any easier. I like that this source gave specific examples to help
further develop certain points that were being made. Pattersons insightful writing and ability to
show perspective provided as a great source to my inquiry work.
Inquiry writing can be a very tedious task, especially when it comes to finding reliable
sources. For this reason, I am grateful that both Pine and Pattersons writing provided me with
great information regarding women in the Holocaust. I found these sources to be both engaging
and informational which allowed me to further enjoy my research into this topic. Women
suffered such a tragedy during their time in the Holocaust. Their experiences should never be
overlooked as they allow for us to get a small glimpse of the horrific events that unfolded during
this time. Personally, reading the stories of how women felt a total loss when their heads were
shaved is something that will continue to stay with me in years to come. I have never fully
reflected on how one can take for granted something as simple as hair. For me, it put life in a
different perspective, one that teaches gratitude and contentment. I have been so inspired by
these women who endured the horrors of the Holocaust and for that reason I am so glad I choice

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this as my inquiry topic. The bravery these women showed throughout the Holocaust is nothing
less than admirable and should continue to be recognized for the inspiration that it is.

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Works Cited
Patterson, David. The Moral Dilemma of Motherhood in the Nazi Death Camps. Problems
Unique to the Holocaust. Ed. Harry James Cargas. Lexington: The U P of Kentucky,
2013. 7-24. Project Muse. Web. 8 Apr. 2015.
Pine, Lisa. Gender and Holocaust Victims: A Reappraisal. Journal of Jewish Identities 1.2
(2008): 121-141. Project Muse. Web. 8 Apr. 2015.