Lucy S. Dawidowicz was a prominent Jewish American scholar, author, and professor known for her extensive work on Jewish history,particularly regarding the Holocaust and Eastern European Jewry. Born to Polish immigrant parents in New York City, she was deeply influenced by her family's secular Jewish culture and commitment to education. Her notable works include "The War Against the Jews, 1933-1945," which argues that the Nazi plan to exterminate Jews was a core goal rather than a mere consequence of the war. Recognized as a pioneering voice in Holocaust studies, Dawidowicz contributed significantly to the understanding of anti-Semitism, Jewish history and identity, and the impact of the Holocaust.

• PrefaceIntroduction: On Studying Holocaust DocumentsPART ONE: The Final SolutionPreconditions: Conventional Anti-Semitism and Adolf HitlerThe First Stage: Anti-Jewish LegislationThe Interim Stage: "All Necessary Preparations"The Final Stage: Mass Killings, "Resettlement," Death CampsPART TWO: The HolocaustThe First Ordeal: The Jews in Germany 1933-1938The Ordeals of the Ghettos in Eastern EuropeThe Ordeals of the JudenräteConfronting Death: The Ordeals of DeportationResistance: The Ordeal of DesperationAppendixMapsSuggestions for Further ReadingSourcesIndex