Jewish Life Prior To The Holocaust

In the 1930's, most of the Jewish population resided in eastern Europe, including Poland, the Soviet Union, Hungary, and Romania. Many living in eastern Europed lived in Jewish towns or villages called shtetls. They spoke yiddish, a language of their own which combined elements of German and Hebrew. There were many younger Jewish people who began to adopt modern ways and dress, while the elder people of the Jewish community often still dressed traditionally. The Jewish people within western Europe, however, made up less of the population and tended to adopt the culture of their non-Jewish neighbors. Traditional, and religious practices played a less important role in their lives. They tended to have more formal education as opposed to eastern European Jews.

Jewish people could be found in all walks of life; as farmers, tailors, seamstresses, factory hands, accountants, doctors, teachers, and small-business owners. Some families were wealthy, some were poor. Many children would often end their schooling early in order to work, some would continue their education.