Everyday Life of Jews under Nazi Occupation: Methodological Issues

Abstract

Despite the dire circumstances of Jews under Nazi occupation, individuals continued to persevere in their efforts to maintain patterns of everyday life. An understanding of daily routines may help us comprehend the reality of the Holocaust, but it may also contribute to the trivialization and banalization of the topic. To counter this danger, the methodology proposed in this article asserts that the individual's struggle reveals another perspective on the state of mind and the social order of various strata of Jewish society under Nazi occupation. Invoking the concepts of Berger and Luckmann in their analysis of understanding the knowledge of everyday life, this article examines the perception of reality of intellectuals in the ghetto.