Father I Am: Gender and Fatherhood Experiences in Men's Diaries from the Warsaw Ghetto (Hebrew)

• In Event: Gender, Sexuality, and the Holocaust, Session 1

Abstract

Although there has been significant research on women and motherhood during the Holocaust, fatherhood during the same period has received less attention. This paper will explore the experiences of fathers who lived in the Warsaw Ghetto during the Holocaust and shed light on their role and challenges in the face of extreme adversity, as documented in their diaries.
Fathers, who had not been traditionally involved in household chores and childcare before the war, found themselves taking on these responsibilities in the ghetto. The harsh conditions and constant threats forced fathers to adapt and take on new roles, both physically and emotionally. This included providing for their families and nurturing their children's physical and psychological well-being.
Examining the diaries of fathers in the Warsaw Ghetto reveals their struggles to protect and care for their children in a challenging reality. The diaries convey a range of emotions, such as fear, frustration, guilt, love, and pride, and demonstrate the profound impact of the traumatic experience on their sense of self. Fatherhood is shown to be a dynamic structure shaped by circumstances, with extreme events requiring fathers to adapt and balance traditional roles with new challenges in order to safeguard their families. These diaries provide a unique perspective on how fatherhood was redefined and tested in the collapsing Warsaw Ghetto.

Author

• Tehila Darmon Malka, Herzog Academic College