I've noticed that amongst many European Jews who were in Poland during its occupation by the Nazis, tend to have the attitude that the Polish inhabitants didn't do enough to help the Jews. Apparently, the Polish civilians didn't risk their lives to hide Jews under their bed and in the closet, so obviously they are at least partially to blame.

Has anyone else here ever noticed this attitude? What about in other countries occupied by the Germans during WWII? If you're a European Jews, do you think that the Polish should have done more to prevent the Nazis from liquifying the Jews?

wasnt much the polish could have done, honestly.

jews who say otherwise are stupid. they werent even there, anyhow.

The Yad Vashem museum in Israel honors "the Righteous Among the Nations" and Poland ranks first among 40 nations with 5,503 men and women, almost one-third of the total, honored for their "compassion, courage and morality" and who "risked their lives to save the lives of Jews." (source (http://www.holocaustforgotten.com/Lucaire.htm))

But there are also cases where, e.g. Polish students massacred Jews of their own accord, without any Nazi help. So I'd guess that the impression Jews had of Poles would have depended very heavily on which Poles they knew...

Zephyr:

The Yad Vashem museum in Israel honors "the Righteous Among the Nations" and Poland ranks first among 40 nations with 5,503 men and women, almost one-third of the total, honored for their "compassion, courage and morality" and who "risked their lives to save the lives of Jews." (source)

It's pleasing that some Jews recognize the sacrifices made by many of the Poles. However, many don't. In fact, some Jews don't even believe that Poles ever suffered under the Nazi regime, because they happened to be Christian.

Frontline’s SHTETL demonstrates the strong anti-Pole sentiment which seems to prevail amongst a portion of the Jewish community.


But there are also cases where, e.g. Polish students massacred Jews of their own accord, without any Nazi help.

I'm actually rather surprised by this, and I'd love to see actual documentation. From what I understand, Poland was the most tolerant country in Europe, which is why so many Jews immigrated there.

Although may I point out, once Poland was retaken by the Red Menace, some Jews had a nasty tendency of telling the Soviets which Poles were 'not comrades' of the Communist regime.


http://www.catholicleague.org/research/holocaust_documentation.htm

This is just a book review (http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~sarmatia/104/241goska.html), but in the process it manages to cover the background quite comprehensively.

I'm actually rather surprised by this, and I'd love to see actual documentation. From what I understand, Poland was the most tolerant country in Europe, which is why so many Jews immigrated there.
Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_Poland) agrees with you. It seems that starting a millenium ago with large Jewish settlement Poland was incredibly tolerant. But the tolerance didn't quite last the whole millenium.

http://www.catholicleague.org/research/holocaust_documentation.htm
Offtopic, I wonder how the 'there were no gas chambers' crowd would react to meeting a Catholic who almost died in one...