Stealth Altruism Forbidden Care as Jeish Resistance in the Holocaust [Hardcover]

Though it has been nearly seventy years since the Holocaust, the human capacity for evil displayed by its perpetrators is still shocking and haunting. But the story of the Nazi attempt to annihilate European Jewry is not all we should remember. Stealth Altruismtells of secret, non-militant, high-risk efforts by Carers, those victims who tried to reduce suffering and improve everyones chances of survival. Their empowering acts of altruism remind us of our inherent longing to do good even in situations of extraordinary brutality.

Arthur B. Shostak explores forbidden acts of kindness, such as sharing scarce clothing and food rations, holding up weakened fellow prisoners during roll call, secretly replacing an ailing friend in an exhausting work detail, and much more. To date, memorialization has emphasized what was done to victims and sidelined what victims tried to do for one another. Carers provide an inspiring model and their perilous efforts should be recognized and taught alongside the horrors of the Holocaust. Humanity needs such inspiration.

As a survivor of the Holocaust I have witnessed and experienced the tremendous efforts the Nazis made to destroy us, not only physically, but psychologically, by trying to take away our dignity, self-esteem, and humanness. But they failed because there are many instances of inmates who have maintained their principles and their dignity, and have committed acts of selfless generosity towards their fellow prisoners. Professor Shostak deserves much credit for identifying this issue and researching it thoroughly.

Magda Herzberger, survivor of Auschwitz-Birkenau, Bremen, and Bergen-Belsen

As past director of the Yad Vashem Department that honors thousands of non-Jews who risked their lives and that of their loved ones to help save the lives of Jewish victims, I welcome the extensive research into forbidden care researched by Professor Arthul‡