Why didn't Jews just lie and say they weren't Jewish when the Nazis came?

Answer 1

In Germany, the Nazis set up a vast bureau of records which checked every citizen three generations back. And outside of Germany, people who were thought to possibly be Jewish had to produce baptismal certificates if they were actually non-Jews. And many Jews were ratted out by their neighbors.

Answer 2

It wasn't that simple, especially in Germany and Austria. In fact, the Nazis made sure that that was very difficult. At the time many countries in Europe was very 'Jew-conscious' and many people were very curious to know who was 'one' ... In Germany itself, anyone 'accused' of being a Jew or thought to be a Jew had to prove that he/she was not a Jew or of Jewish origin. The same applied to people in public sector jobs: they had to prove that they, their parents and grandparents had been baptized as infants.

'Jew spotting' (that is, finding or detecting Jews) became a nasty sport. The Nazis launched a witch-hunt for Jews, and for many Jews it became a matter of 'pride'. In particular, religious Jews didn't want to deny their religion.

In Poland and many other parts of Eastern Europe most Jews lived in readily recognizable Jewish communities.

Nevertheless, outside Germany and Austria the Nazis were less able to check matters and some Jews undoubtedly succeeded in hiding their religion and/or origins.

And because being Jewish is so awesome. Why hide it for any reason? ;)

___

The Nazis were well aware of this possibility, and in Germany anyone applying for - or simply wanting to keep - a post with any responsibility had to prove that they were not Jewish. The same procedure was used for anyone 'suspected' of being a Jew. Already before the Nazis came to power, Germany was intensely 'Jew-conscious'. 'Is he/she a Jew?' was considered very, very interesting, in fact downright spicy.

Please see the related question below.

Jews didn't know they were being sent off to death camps. There was capital punishment for those who hid their identities. But the point is the Jews truly believed if they followed the rules, they would sleep home.

Answer 3

In occupied Europe during WWII Jewish people suffered a greater degree of persecution, if one were to pretend not to be Jewish one might hope to avoid this persecution.