Impact of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in Yad Vashem Studies, Volume XIX

The Impact of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising on Jewish Resistance in France

Testimonies and the underground press indicate that news of the Warsaw ghetto uprising galvanized French Jewry into a clearer understanding of the fate in store for them and of the need for resistance and unity. News of the uprising reached France in May 1943 on the Polish-language service of the BBC and was spread by the Jewish underground press and special broadsheets. Some Jews, especially of French origin, still relied on the authorities and believed that the war was turning against Germany. Because of the uprising, many were encouraged to go underground and to engage in resistance activities. In June 1943, the East European Jewish organizations created a joint defense committee; in January 1944, they were joined by French Jews in CRIF (Conseil Representatif des Israelites de France), which condemned the UGIF’s policy of cooperation.