"The man who knows when not to act is wise. To my mind, bravery is forethought"

In the memoir, In My Hands, Irene helps many jews that she comes across while working for the Nazis. Many times she finds herself desperately wanting to act on instinct, but knows that she would be putting her lives and the lives of others (her sister, Schulz, the jews, etc.) She must act according to thought out plans and at the right times.

Upon finding out that the jews had only about a month left before the Nazis planned to exterminate them all, she quickly thought of a way to help them escape hiding in a wagon. She realized that no matter what she does - whether it be feeding the jews or helping them escape - the sentence would still he the same: death. One who chooses to act selflessly, knowing the consequences facing them is brave. Irene does not back away from helping her new friends, not even when she gets sent away from HKP. Instead of dwelling on things that she cannot change, she is constantly trying to think of new ways to continue fighting the Nazis in her own way. Although she wants to find a way out of her new job as Rugemer's housekeeper, she knows that it would not be wise to; she must find another way to help her friends.

In the same scene, where she is called into the major's office to be told about the job, Irene holds back another kind of action. She feels helpless and wants to "scream, or cry, or slap his face." (154). By holding back, Irene is showing restraint along with some courage, too. It takes a very strong person to accept their helplessness and to try to find another, rational way out of it.

Can our heads stay proud
if our bodies are sitting down?

Question #2

What is the significance of Oskar only wearing white but all the while looking for "Black"?

White and Black are on two opposite sides of the spectrum, a spectrum which also mirrors Oskar's journey of self discovery (or any journey in general). He starts his search in a state of confusion, still clueless about many aspects of his father's death/life, and ends it with emotional closure.

One might think of black as being empty and white its opposite, but thinking in terms of a blank slate, or a sheet of computer paper, the reverse can be just as plausible. Perhaps Foer is trying to "fill in" Oskar's blank clothing with his search for "Black." Oskar's choice of clothing may signify his emptiness, and longing for answers. Just as his grandfather chooses actual writing to fill in blanks, Oskar is searching for the equivalent. Why not express that through a bizarre choice of everyday attire?