Subjugated Motherhood and the Holocaust

Abstract

The article discusses ‘motherhood’ in the context of the Holocaust. It perceives motherhood as a socially, culturally and politically constructed and imposed role. The fate of Jewish mothers in the Holocaust is examined as an extreme example of the implications of the subjugating bond imposed by society and institutional practices upon women as mothers.Most narratives of female survivors and accounts by scholars demonstrate the self-evident perception of the totality of the mother–child bond. A mother's willing walk toward death with her children is often described as ‘heroic,’ while a woman who acts to save herself is often condemned for abandoning her offspring. This article questions these widely accepted perceptions.