Prevail: Jewish Women and the Preservation of Holocaust Memory in France
Open AccessThis dissertation examines a cohort of seven influential women, from well-known figures such as Simone Veil to memory activist Sabine Zlatin, who shaped the production of Holocaust memory in France from 1945 to the present. I argue that the efforts of these women to preserve Holocaust memory have played more significant roles in crafting the greater narrative of World War II than scholars have yet recognized. Through their memory work, these women publicized their own wartime experiences, which shifted attention away from Jewish victimization to instead foreground Jewish women as agents in the fight for survival under Nazi Occupation. In carrying out work to memorialize the Holocaust, these seven women became political actors by insisting that the memory of the Holocaust be preserved as a distinct narrative from the Republican story of universal French suffering. They ensured the state’s overall discourse on the war included the subject of French complicity and the stories of the Righteous Among the Nations, the French men and women who rescued Jews from deportation. Ultimately, by examining Holocaust memory in France through a gendered lens, we see how women’s personal experiences during the war, as well as their family lives, influenced how and when they chose to pursue their memorialization projects.
- All rights reserved
Notice to Authors
If you are the author of this work and you have any questions about the information on this page, please use the Contact form to get in touch with us.
| Thumbnail | Title | Date Uploaded | Visibility | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Valanzola_gwu_0075A_15605.pdf | 2022-03-06 | Open Access |
|