“His tears, his hope, his fear”: fathers’ experiences during the Holocaust as reflected in art and literature

The article presents a comparative analysis of three works created by Jewish fathers during the Holocaust: Yitzhak Katzenelson's poem “The Day of My Great Tragedy,” Bedřich Fritta's illustrated book for his son Tommy, and Rubin Ben Shem Feldschuh's children's book Between the Walls of the Ghetto. Using frameworks from micro-history, gender studies, and the history of emotions, this study investigates the evolving dynamics of father-child relationships, paternal identity, and the role of memorialization under the extreme conditions of the Holocaust. The works analyzed reveal consistent themes of emotional connection, education, and the fathers' struggles to maintain their roles as protectors and educators despite their inability to shield their children from the atrocities surrounding them. In Katzenelson's work, fatherhood is portrayed as a cornerstone of his identity, with his family's destruction leading to a personal and artistic transformation. Fritta's book embodies a father's hopes for his child's future after the war, using art as instruction and solace. Feldschuh's novel addresses the challenges of fatherhood in Ghetto, emphasizing the father's role as an educator and reflecting feelings of guilt and helplessness. In conclusion, the article posits that fatherhood during the Holocaust, as represented in these artistic works, transcended mere survival and protection, evolving into an act of emotional resilience and a way to preserve both personal and collective memory.