The Unethical and the Unspeakable: Women and the Holocaust

Joan Miriam Ringelheim

1984

Analyses of the moral dimensions of the Holocaust usually present data as if the only category were that of “persons”—all survivors are seen as the same. While some differentiations may be made in Holocaust literature, none of them seem as significant as the simple fact of being a survivor. Literature on the Holocaust has been gender-neutral…

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From the Curator

One of the most important changes in historical scholarship in recent decades has been the recognition that centering women’s voices is crucial for understanding the past. This selection applies this gender-sensitive lens to historical Holocaust narratives. By focusing on the experience of men, or even on the impact on women of policies created by men, we fail to appreciate the diverse experiences, including acts of resistance, by all Jews living through this horrific period.

Discussion Questions

What do narratives of the past erase by only focusing on a small group of women as “token heroines”?
Why does the author take particular umbrage at the fact that a scholar reporting on a rape perpetrated by Jewish men does not specifically identify the act as rape?
What are ways that you might consider including more women’s voices in your own understanding of the Holocaust?

Creator Bio

Joan Miriam Ringelheim

1939–2021

Born in New York and brought up in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Joan Miriam Ringelheim is director of oral history at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. She holds a doctorate in philosophy from Boston University and specializes in the Holocaust and feminist theory.

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The Unethical and the Unspeakable: Women and the Holocaust

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The Unethical and the Unspeakable: Women and the Holocaust

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