מבעד לדמעות

A collection of jokes and other humorous material found in various Holocaust archives and in writings on the Holocaust. Notes that Jewish humor was a form of spiritual resistance, which sometimes prevented people from entering into a state of despair. Focusing on the absurdity of certain situations made it easier for some of the Jews to deal with the reality of their conditions. In 1933-39, Jewish humor expressed derision for the Nazi regime and its anti-Jewish laws, as well as hopes for the defeat of the Nazis and for a better future. Humor in ghettos and camps during the war made fun of Judenrat leaders as well as Nazi soldiers and guards. The varied forms of humor included plays, cabaret pieces, and clandestine journals. Inter alia, discusses performances and journals in the Theresienstadt, Łódź, and Warsaw ghettos. (From the Bibliography of the Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Antisemitism - The Hebrew University of Jerusalem)