Was There a Gender Aspect to Survival?

Documentation on survival of the Holocaust has primarily focused on the lives of men as written by men and perceived by men. Unfortunately, this leads us to believe that men and women experienced the Holocaust the same way. Although one would be naïve in assigning purely gender-related reasons for survival (experiences such as thirst, hunger and deprivation were non-discriminate) it is clear that gender-related behaviour of men and women, and gender roles in the Jewish community led to different survival capabilities. Different experiences faced by men and women were a function of the fact that each sex was vulnerable to the Nazis in ways specific and exclusive to them. Although each survivor's case is unique, one soon becomes aware of patterns of survival. Some of the most salient reasons include kindness to others, the development of strong bonds between inmates, the continuation of ordinary acts of normal life and quite simply, good luck.…