Most of the 6 million Jews slaughtered by the Nazis were from Eastern Europe, often poor, rural (shtetl) villagers who knew little of the outside world. Those who came from sizeable cities and towns often had no military experience, no different from the majority of non-Jews. For the most part, they were confined to ghetto-type living before the war, and relatively easy to round up.
Yet there was resistance of all kinds, usually too little, too late. See Warsaw ghetto uprising for example, or better yet read up on Maj. General Sidney Schachnow, the only American Army general who was also incarcerated as a child in a concentration camp. (He is a founder of today's Special Forces.)
It is puzzling to me as well how most American Jews do not support the Second Amendment, especially with Israel having its IDF dispell any notion that prayer alone will keep you safe.
I'm thinking that it has become part of Jewish culture that a strong central government is their protector against any anti-Jewish local hostility.
The essence of the 2nd Amendment is to ensure that local people retain their ability to counter-act a too-powerful government.
The German Jews you are right —not orthodox. But if anyone was living in a dream world it was them. They thought they were assimilated, accepted by German society. Surprise Surprise, Surprise Gomer! Uncle Adolf comes along and after a few years in power there is Kristallnacht—and he wrote about his “love of Jews” in Mein Kampf, but the German Jews could not see the forest for the trees because their rose colored glasses were on too tightly.
“But Hitler eliminated the private ownership of firearms for everyone in Germany well before Kristalnacht.”
Actually, he opened it up for “German citizens.”
Of course, Jews and the like were not “German citizens” and they had their weapons taken — made possible by an existing registry.