Here’s an ethical issue and Jewish source response:

Case

The Jews of Kovno knew that the Nazis were about to slaughter many of them and take the rest away to death camps.  One man went to Rabbi Oshry and told him that because he had been part of the resistance, the Nazis would not just kill him, but would torture him and put his family to death before his eyes.  He asked permission to commit suicide and so provide himself (and possibly his family through his absence) with an easier death.

Answer

[a] Normally Jews are forbidden to commit suicide. The simple explanation is that our bodies belong to God, and we do not have permission to abuse them.  The textual proof comes from Genesis 9:5: “For your life blood, too, I will hold you responsible.”  In the Talmud, Bava Kamma 91b, the rabbis make it clear that this refers to suicide and that is forbidden.  

[b] The one example of a permissible suicide is King Saul (I Samuel 31:3-5, explained in Genesis Rabbah 34.13), about whom the rabbis say, “He died to preserve the dignity of the King of Israel.”  Some rabbis accept this choice.  Rabbi Oshry, who faced this choice, said this case is an exception that resembles the case of King Saul (and is not available to ordinary people).

[c] Oshry also states that suicide, when it is Kiddush ha-Shem – defending God’s honor and not giving in to pagan forces – is a mitzvah.  Not allowing the Nazis to win was such a moment. 

[d] Oshry concludes that suicide is permissiable in this case, but said that his t’shuvah (answer) could not be published, lest anyone else in the ghetto read it and imagine that their situation was severe enough to justify suicide.

Joel Grishaver, “You Be the Judge 3”, pgs. 21-22

Used with permission from Joel Grishaver