Reassessment of the image of Mordechai Chaim Rumkowski

Revises the prevalent one-sided view, among both survivors and historians, of the head of the Lodz Judenrat as a tyrannical devil. While not disputing Rumkowski's authoritarianism, stresses the lack of practical alternatives to the ghastly dilemma created by the Nazis. Rumkowski is credited with trying to save Jewish lives by making Jewish labor useful to the Germans. The lives of the Jews depended on Nazi policy, including disagreements between Nazi officials. When deportations to the Chelmno death camp began, Rumkowski did sacrifice some Jewish lives in an attempt to save others. Many people never forgave him for this terrible responsibility. The argument that he was neither a monster nor a traitor is strengthened by the fact that he lost most of his authority and power vis-a-vis the Germans when he tried to save more Jews by keeping them in the factories although this led to a drop in productivity. Includes bibliographical references. 55, 9 pages ; 24 cm.