Stealth altruism : forbidden care as Jewish resistance in the Holocaust

"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 of that horrifying time. An overlooked, empowering, and inspiring corollary--the Help Story--tells of secret, non-militant, high-risk efforts by Jewish victims to lessen the suffering of others. These acts of stealth altruism remind us of our inherent longing to do good even in situations of devastating brutality. Stealth Altruism explores forbidden acts of kindness: sharing scarce clothing and food rations, holding up weakened fellow prisoners during roll call, secretly replacing an ailing friend in a work detail, and much more. Arthur Shostak explores the motivation behind this dangerous behavior, how it differed when in or out of sight, who provided and undermined forbidden care, the difference of care between men and women, how and why gentiles aided forbidden care attempts, and, most importantly, how might its current and costly obscurity soon be corrected? To date, memorialization has emphasized what was done to victims and sidelined what victims tried to do for one another. These "Carers" provide an inspiring model for all of humanity and their profound efforts must be taught alongside the horrors. Humanity needs such inspiration, and the "Carers" deserve overdue credit for their bravery and altruism"-- Includes bibliographical references and index. xxxvi, 319 pages ; 23 cm