Three websites I used for my project:
1. Wikipedia
This website is credible because it provides the date it was last modified, ".org", many links that work, and a ton of references.
2.This month in Holocaust history
It is a ".org" , has contact information, and has copyright 2014 at the bottom of the page.
3. The Daily Beast
Although this is a ".com" it has links that work correctly, a date that it was published, the company who published it, contact information, and the person who wrote the article (Paul Kendall).
What did I find out?
Website #1 This website has a lot of detailed facts about how the Jewish police officers were with the Jews and how they had harsh treatment at the end just like the rest of the Jews. A Polish-Jewish historian described the ghetto Jewish police;s cruelty towards the Jews as, "...at times greater than that of the Germans, the Ukrainians and the Latvians." (website #1). Although they were like this, at the end, their fate was the same as any other Jew in the ghetto, "... they were either murdered on site or sent to concentration camps." (website #1). So, although they may have got better treatment while they were the "Jewish police", in the end, they had the same fate as the people in the ghetto.
Website #2 Being a Jewish officer, life was a little easier. Things were not as hard and there was a greater chance of survival. "Police service also offered greater freedom of movement and possibilities of obtaining food." (website #2). Although there were perks to being a Jewish officer, they only hired the Jews when they needed them. "The size of the Jewish police force was not fixed, but depended on the size of the Jewish community." (website #2). Many Jews would not associate with the Jewish officers. "In many places, youth movements and Jewish political parties did not permit their members to enlist in the police." (website #2). There were groups that did not allow their members to join or associate with the Jewish officers.
Website #3 There is a story about survival and how many Jews joined the army so that they were able to survive. “I have heard a story about one Jewish soldier who was making his way back to camp with a German of a similar rank,” says Simon. “The Jew said to the German, ‘When we get back to camp, don’t tell people I’m Jewish.’ The German replied, ‘But nothing would happen to you—you’re a Finnish soldier. It’s me who would get into trouble.’ ” (website #3). The man in this story was not apart of the Jewish police but he joined the Finish army so that he was able to stay alive. Many people helped Jews do this so that they would be safe. To these people, their religion was not important, to them, they were all the same race. Many Jewish officers were not aware of the harsh conditions that were in line for them. "...many of the details of the Holocaust were still secret at this point. The Jewish soldiers didn’t know about the gas chambers and the horrors of Auschwitz, Dachau and Bergen-Belsen. " (website #3). They had no idea that they were helping kill their own people. If they had known, would things have been different?
Website #2 Being a Jewish officer, life was a little easier. Things were not as hard and there was a greater chance of survival. "Police service also offered greater freedom of movement and possibilities of obtaining food." (website #2). Although there were perks to being a Jewish officer, they only hired the Jews when they needed them. "The size of the Jewish police force was not fixed, but depended on the size of the Jewish community." (website #2). Many Jews would not associate with the Jewish officers. "In many places, youth movements and Jewish political parties did not permit their members to enlist in the police." (website #2). There were groups that did not allow their members to join or associate with the Jewish officers.
Website #3 There is a story about survival and how many Jews joined the army so that they were able to survive. “I have heard a story about one Jewish soldier who was making his way back to camp with a German of a similar rank,” says Simon. “The Jew said to the German, ‘When we get back to camp, don’t tell people I’m Jewish.’ The German replied, ‘But nothing would happen to you—you’re a Finnish soldier. It’s me who would get into trouble.’ ” (website #3). The man in this story was not apart of the Jewish police but he joined the Finish army so that he was able to stay alive. Many people helped Jews do this so that they would be safe. To these people, their religion was not important, to them, they were all the same race. Many Jewish officers were not aware of the harsh conditions that were in line for them. "...many of the details of the Holocaust were still secret at this point. The Jewish soldiers didn’t know about the gas chambers and the horrors of Auschwitz, Dachau and Bergen-Belsen. " (website #3). They had no idea that they were helping kill their own people. If they had known, would things have been different?
Conclusion
- There were many Jewish police that felt they had a lot of power. With this power, they abused it, and the other Jews but in the end, they had the same death as the people they had mistreated.
- Being a Jewish officer gave you a better chance of survival for a short period of time, but you were ignored by many Jews.
- Many Jews joined the police force to help survive. But they did not know about the horrors of the different camps. If they had known, things may have gone differently.