Fighting Antisemitism: Underground Resistance of the Zionist Youth During the Holocaust in Romania

In 1930s Romania, Zionist youth organizations saw a resurgence amid increasing antisemitism and the global political mobilization of young people. These organizations underwent specific stages, throughout the totalitarian regimes of the Second World War, including a semi-legal period during the beginnings of the oppression, followed by an underground phase from 1942 onwards. This shift occurred when the Jewish Federation was replaced by the Jewish Council (Centrala), a state-controlled entity representing the Jewish community. This paper explores the clandestine Zionist non-armed resistance efforts carried out by youth organizations in Romania from 1942 to 1944, drawing on archives from the Romanian Secret Police (Siguranța). Focusing on the support received from Jewish networks abroad, the discussion highlights the actions of the Gordonia and Dror youth organizations. Notably, members of these groups faced convictions by the Court Martial in 1944 for aiding refugee Jews in crossing the Romanian border and preparing for emigration to Palestine. The argument posits that these acts of defiance constituted a form of Jewish resistance. The overall research endeavour seeks to provide a comprehensive history of Jewish youth activism during tumultuous times – an often-overlooked aspect in the broader narrative of the Holocaust in Romania.