Review by Choice Review
Often reviled, sometimes lauded, but to date inadequately studied despite enduring controversy, the subject of the Jewish Order Service (police) and judicial systems within the Nazi ghettos has yet to be fully researched. Bethke (Univ. of Leicester, UK) expands on her earlier doctoral research on the concepts of criminality and law as formulated by the Jewish councils in the Lodz, Warsaw, and Vilna ghettos in this important book, now available in English. In contributing to this developing field, Bethke has incorporated newly available archival materials to explore the criminal justice sphere established within the ghettos' internal legal systems. She draws comparisons among the various approaches and classifications of criminality by the Jewish administrators in these three major ghettos, noting the influence of the varying degrees of insight they had into the Nazis' extermination plans. Bethke draws no rigid moral conclusions; instead, she presents a detailed account of improvised justice that underscores the need for accountability even in the most desperate conditions. This book will be of great value to those exploring daily life in the Nazi ghettos, particularly the various ethical and moral challenges faced by their leaders. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Graduate students, faculty, and professionals. --Sara V Greenberg, Gratz College
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
