Survival
became a form of resistance to the Nazis. Jews adopted a determination to survive
the obvious policy to slowly kill off the ghetto population through starvation,
disease and work. People continued to smuggle, to learn, to pray and to plan
for the future.
Deportations from the ghettos began in 1942. The Nazis had established their
plan to murder all Jews without exception, and transports left the ghettos of
Europe virtually every day for the death camps. Worn down, and believing the
lies about their safety, the Jews had no option but to board the trains to certain
death.
‘Foraging
was often done by children, since the risk was greater for adults. I regularly
took off my yellow star and went over to the ‘Aryan’ side... I was
caught and beaten black-and-blue more than once’.
Kitty Hart-Moxon, who was in
the Lublin ghetto, aged 12.
