I’m so sick of Nazis.
Swastika tee shirts. Nazi salutes. It’s terrifying, rage-inducing and a whole bunch of other things that are utterly exhausting. As if the weight of the Holocaust weren’t enough, we are now dealing with a new wave of emboldened mainstream Naziism that, unfortunately, is rearing its ugly head from every corner of politics and society. I’m already so tired of it.
I’m not sure if it’s this sense of exhaustion, the fact that I recently re-watched the Mel Brooks classic “The Producers,” or the fact that we just celebrated Purim – a holiday that celebrates the triumph of Jews over their evil enemy Haman and the revenge that Persian Jews took against their conspirators – but I’ve found myself wanting to escape into narratives by and about Jews who get the last laugh against Nazis.
Obviously, Nazism is no laughing matter, but there’s no denying that there is something both subversive and cathartic about laughing at Nazis: belittling them and their methods while seeking revenge against them. It also feels like an incredibly Jewish thing to do.
It is in the spirit of Mel, then, that I present a list of books, shows and films for anyone who, like me, needs to escape from this resurgence of antisemitism into worlds in which Jews get the upper hand on Nazis. Whether through mockery, satire, legal justice or… shall we say… other types of revenge, here are 10 titles to check out.
“The Producers,” 1967.
In Mel Brooks’ directorial debut, down-and-out dramatist Max Bialystock (Zero Mostel) teams up with a slightly neurotic (and very naïve) accountant named Leopold Bloom (Gene Wilder) to conduct what they think is the perfect fraud: over-selling a play that is destined to flop. The play they pick, “Springtime for Hitler,” is the brainchild of a deluded ex-Nazi soldier as a “love letter to Hitler” that reduces Hitler and Nazism into the laughingstock of NYC. Brooks actually makes a cameo in the 2005 remake, starring Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick and Will Ferrell, but – in this writer’s opinion, at least – there is nothing like the original.
“To Be or Not to Be,” 1942, 1983.
In this two-for-one comedy film, originally written and directed by American-German Jew Ernst Lubitsch (and then redone four decades later by Mel Brooks, who also stars in the film alongside Anne Bancroft), a Warsaw Theatre company becomes an unlikely source of anti-Nazi resistance and escape point for Jews fleeing Nazi-occupied Poland. There are distinct differences between the original and Brooks’ version, but both feature foolish Nazis getting the wool pulled over their eyes by Jews and their allies. What could be better?
“Like The Producers” and “To Be Or Not To Be,” “Jojo Rabbit” is another Jewish-written and -directed film that caused a bit of a stir when it premiered. A young Hitler Youth member who worships Nazism and whose imaginary friend is Adolf Hitler? Rebel Wilson as a gun-toting, propaganda-spewing Nazi secretary? What’s not to love? While it’s not the unadulterated comedy that “The Producers” is (dark comedy might be a better term, and there are a few truly heart-breaking scenes), watching fellow Jew Taika Waititi play imaginary Adolf – moustache and all – is subversive and brilliant in its own right.
Though it’s been a few years since this series ended, “Hunters,” created from the minds of Jordan Peele, David Weil (grandson of an Auschwitz survivor) and Nikki Toscano, is a masterclass in the Nazi-hunting revenge genre. Praised for its diverse cast and writer’s room, the show follows a somewhat unlikely team of Nazi hunters who are trying to prevent the emergence of the “Fourth Reich” in 1970s NYC. It combines fact and fiction, such as the influence of historical events like Operation Paperclip, America’s secret post-war mission to provide false documents to Nazi scientists to come work in the U.S. In addition to providing satisfying vengeance against Nazis, it also introduces thought-provoking questions about revenge and violence.
“The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay,” Michael Chabon.
At its core, this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about two Jewish cousins living in Brooklyn is about fighting fascism. Joe Kavalier, who made it out of Prague before the war, and his cousin Sammy Klayman create a popular comic book called “The Escapist,” about a hero who is constantly beating up Nazis (including Hitler himself). While the cousins grow to experience their own personal challenges, Chabon’s powerful narrative speaks to the type of escapism-as-resistance that many of the films and books on this list also feature.
“The Jewish Brigade,” Marvano.
Switching gears, this graphic novel (translated into English by Montana Kane in 2021), is a work of historical fiction that follows the exploits of an all-Jewish British Army Unit that tracks down Nazis trying to escape after the war and also helps displaced Jews travel to Palestine. It’s a more serious work, but showcases Jewish fortitude, bravery and resilience – not to mention revenge.
Anyone interested in real-life Jewish Nazi hunters will be fascinated by this memoir, which has been gaining a lot of popular and critical attention. A survivor of multiple ghettos and death camps, Lewkowicz shares the story of how he turned his Holocaust suffering into justice by hunting down Nazis for the Allies after the war.
A darkly comedic work of historical fiction, the villains in “The Yid” are Stalin and the KGB goons who carry out his anti-Jewish policies. When they try to arrest aging actor Solomon Levinson, the KGB gets more than they bargained for. A wild sequence of events leads Levinson and a rag-tag band of comrades to undertake an unthinkable act of vengeance. It has a similar vibe to Quentin Tarantino’s film “Inglorious Basterds” (if, perhaps, more real-life Jews were involved in that movie). You’ll laugh, you’ll cry and you’ll learn a lot about Soviet-era antisemitism.
“The Goddess of Warsaw,” Lisa Barr.
Barr’s latest novel, whose “Woman on Fire” could also fit on this list, follows the life of a Jewish resistance-fighter-and-Nazi-assassin-turned-Hollywood-star whose past comes back to haunt her. It’s a page-turner that features brave, strong, complex female characters.
“Magical Meet Cute,” Jean Meltzer.
Surprised to see a romance novel on this list? “Magical Meet Cute” takes on neo-Nazism and modern-day antisemitism in this fast-paced novel. Feeling vulnerable after a targeted antisemitic attack, the protagonist drunkenly creates a clay golem to protect herself. What happens next is shocking. It’s witty and full of heart, yet also has a serious message about being Jewish in our current, Nazi-filled moment. Oh yeah: In true happily ever after fashion, the bad guys get caught in the end.
