Baptism as a Holocaust Survival Strategy (1938–1945 Slovakia From the Perspective of Oral History)

This paper employs the oral history method to analyze Jewish conversion during the Holocaust. Between 1938 and 1945, the Slovak Republic was governed by the antisemitic Ľudák regime, whose policies culminated in the deportations of Jews to Nazi death camps. In a society heavily influenced by the Catholic Church, many Jews turned to conversion as a survival strategy. Although most regarded baptism as merely a formal, temporary measure, the decision was not easy, as converting to Christianity meant abandoning Judaism, the Jewish community, and the traditions of their ancestors. Many Christian priests faced dilemmas of their own. Accepting a Jewish candidate for baptism required them to choose between two approaches: the “missionary” approach, which demanded a time-intensive preparation period that heightened the candidate’s risk of deportation, or the “rescuer” approach, which prioritized immediate protection over rigorous religious instruction. Conversion, however, was not a widespread phenomenon. Many Jews, despite the dangers they faced, adhered to the tenets of their faith, including practices such as circumcising newborn sons.