On the Motivations of Gentile Rescuers of Jews in the Holocaust

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Vera Uglješić, saved by the rescuers and married Zlatan Uglješić after the war, kissing Zlatan's name on the wall, Garden of the Righteous, Yad Vashem, 29 May 2013 The deeds and behavior of those we term Righteous Among the Nations, that is of nonJewish Holocaust rescuers of Jews honored by Yad Vashem, have undergone certain scrutiny from sociological and psychological disciplines. Three of the most important studies in this field are of Nechama Tec, Samuel & Pearl Oliner and Eva Fogelman.1 While they each suggest different interpretations to explain the uniqueness of the behavior of the Righteous, they all concur in locating the formative nexus of the Righteous’ behavior during the childhood years. In this paper, I submit that the inordinate response of the rescuers to the plight of the Jews is perhaps predicated on the presence of a deeper and more primal predisposition, perhaps rooted in our genes, which causes some of us to respond instinctively and instantaneously when placed befo

Mordecai Paldiel Share Share to WhatsApp Copy Link Print Send by e-mail Share to Classroom Add to Favorites Vera Uglješić, saved by the rescuers and married Zlatan Uglješić after the war, kissing Zlatan's name on the wall, Garden of the Righteous, Yad Vashem, 29 May 2013 Nechama Tec, When Light Pierced the Darkness ; New York: Oxford Uni., 1984. Samuel & Pearl Oliner, The Altruistic Personality . New York: Free Press, 1988. Eva Fogelman, Conscience and Courage ; New York: Doubleday, 1994. Unless otherwise indicated, all rescue stories and their authors appearing in this paper are listed in alp

On the Motivations of Gentile Rescuers of Jews in the Holocaust

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