TTG

UP YOUR ASS: JEWISH RESISTANCE AND RESCUE, 1945-1948 was a lecture delivered by David Axel Kurtz on 15 April 2009.



Subject
The lecture was based upon a description of the history of antisemitism and of Jewish responses thereto, focusing particularly on those militant groups whose actions proved successful in securing the survival and liberty of them and theirs. The lecture culminated with a discussion of Abba Kovner ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abba_Kovner ), the Brichah ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brichah ) and Ha'Apala ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aliyah_Bet ), and the little-known Tilhas Tizig Gesheften brigade of the Jewish Legion during WWII ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TTG )

Lecture Notes
INTRODUCTION  Name of Lecture

Thanks and Acknowledgements

ANTISEMITISM Biblical precedent – Mordechai not bowing to Haman New Testament times – the imposition of Roman rule upon the Tetrarchy; the Maccabee revolt Dark Ages – the slaughters of the First Crusade in 1096 Post-Hejira - Dhimmi system in Muslim countries Middle Ages – expulsion from England in 1290 Renaissance – the Inquisition in Spain in 1492 Northern Renaissance - Luther publishing “On the Jews and their Lies” In the East - Pogroms and the Pale of Settlement In the West - legal separation and marginalization

In America - Lynchings (Leo Frank) and anti-immigrant legislation

In High Culture - Richard Wagner, &amp;c Results: Official Recognition - Otherness - Physical and Cultural separation - propagation of separation

A sense of otherness – proving difference – physical isolation A willful striving towards sameness - “anticipatory compliance”

"Who is a Jew?" - and what shapes an individual's answer

NAZIISM Pro-Aryanism into Anti-semitism “Reapportioning” of influence as a nationalistic trend Confiscation of Property, and anticipatory compliance State-controlled defining of Jewishness

Concentration

Renaming Sterilization Enslavement as conscription DIE WANNSEEPROTOKOL

Enslavement as execution Operation Reinhardt, and methodical exterminaton

THE SHOAH

GENOCIDE: via malnourishment, slave-driving, medical experimentation, executions – individual and industrial

blurring the line between noncombatants and combatants

OTHERS KILLED: 3 Million soviet POW; 2M Polish Catholics; 500K Roma, 200K Freemasons, 5k Jehovah's communists, socialists, democrats, homosexuals, the elderly, and the disabled.

to say nothing of the destruction of personal property, words, thoughts, forced relocation, personal identity, sterilization.

WAR TOTALS: 20M Soviets, 11M of whom civilians; 20M Chinese; 7M Germans, 4M Indonesians, 1.5M Raj 16% of Poland, 6% Hungary, 14% Lithuania, 400k Americans 4% World

JEWS – Poland 91%, Baltic countries 89%, Germany 90%. only France Italy Belgium Luxembourg &lt;50%, of all of Europe; all others &gt;50%

MILITANCY DURING THE WAR Sophie Scholl, for comparison Righteous Among the Nations, for comparison Hannah Szenes, the impotent martyr Concentration Camp Uprisings, and their temporary efficacy Soviet Partisans, fighting the Soviet war Ghetto Uprisings, suicide resistance, vorlorn hoop, or desperate struggle? Jewish Brigade, fighting one war while preparing for another Bielski - the only significant self-sufficient Jewish resistance effort

Jews in the Allied armies

FOLLOWING THE WAR

"Liberation" of camps Denazification of Europe begins, ends prematurely "Displaced Persons" - still kept prisoners in concentration camps The Yishuv Problem - immigration not allowed to Palestine

The Europe Problem - pogroms conducted by non-Axis powers &amp; civilians, all over Europe

REVENGE

Nuremberg, the official revenge, and its efficacy Abba Kovner (Nakam) - Plan A, killing German civilians, Plan B, killing SS POWs The Jewish Brigade - Finding and killing former SS members, particularly Totenkampferbande officers

FLIGHT AND RESCUE

Getting Jews out of Europe (Flight)

Getting Jews into Israel (Rescue)

nature of these goals: humanitarian? moral? religious? political? economic?

Lehi (or Stern Gang), and any exodus - negotiations with the Nazis, followed by sneaking otu individuals to join their cause Irgun (or Etzel), and private exodus - trying to sneak out small groups of people to fight for the Yishuv. Also weapons and supplies. Palmach (of Haganah), and public exodus - trying to turn public opinion, a la Exodus 1947 Brichah Groups - pulling people out of DP Camps Ha'Apala Groups - getting people into Israel

Tilhas Tigiz Gesheften - the brigade that never was

CONCLUSIONS Reclamation of identity   By camp survivors    By Israeli operatives    By partisans The Rest of the Story - what happened to the major players in the Brichah and Ha'Apala efforts, particularly Abba Kovner of Nakam and Israel Carmi of TTG

Tactical significance of their efforts   For understanding Israeli military potential    Potential application to other groups

followed by Q&amp;A

Attendance
Twelve students, Hampshire or 5 College

Approximate lecture time: 60 minutes