Thread: Jewish Partisans

Another good but short article

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/...partisan1.html

And a quick summary, worth a read before delving into the details in post #1

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/...partisan2.html

Between 20,000 and 30,000 Jews escaped the ghettoes and work camps of Nazi-occupied Europe, fleeing to the forests for shelter where they formed groups and fought back against the Nazis and their collaborators. These brave Jews are known as the Jewish Partisans.

It is important to note that for most victims of the Holocaust, the chance to escape and join the partisans never came. Only very few Jews had the means and the opportunity to escape, and even then, the choice was difficult. Most of these young people were their families’ lifelines for survival in the ghettoes and camps, smuggling in available food and information whenever possible. The Nazis and their collaborators also used a method called Collective Responsibility to deter Jews from escaping the ghettos and camps. Collective Responsibility meant that for each person who escaped, 10 to 25 remaining people would be killed or executed, beginning with the escapee’s family.

Daily survival in the forests was very difficult. Exposure and starvation posed as great a threat to the average partisan as did discovery by a Nazi patrol. Shelter was a small dugout in the ground. Adequate clothing and food were scarce. The winter months meant enduring freezing temperatures, but welcoming snow, as it masked the smoke from a campfire.

In the face of these challenges to survival, which often meant risking death to seek or steal food from local villages, the Jewish Partisans organized to sabotage and resist the Nazis. Their missions, carried out in military-style units, were very successful in destroying thousands of trains. Apart from mining train tracks, partisans sabotaged communications lines, exploded Nazi-controlled farms and power plants, and successfully rescued scores of other Jews still imprisoned in ghettoes and camps.

Many Jewish Partisans fought alongside local groups also resisting the Nazi occupation. Making themselves known to other groups held many risks, however, as anti-Semitism was widespread in the rural areas where Jewish Partisans hid and carried out their missions. Many thousands of Russian soldiers, trapped in Eastern Europe after Hitler invaded Poland, escaped and formed partisan groups. These Russian partisan groups greatly aided many Jewish Partisans in their struggle to fight and survive in the forests. Among the Russians, however, there was also anti-Semitism.

Though people of all ages became Jewish Partisans, many were very young. Children as young as nine years old fought, and many Jewish Partisans were between the ages of 17 and 25. Most commonly, men and boys carried out all partisan missions, although in some camps, girls and women worked and fought alongside them.

Originally Posted by Kyt

Another good but short article

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/...partisan1.html

And a quick summary, worth a read before delving into the details in post #1

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/...partisan2.html

If anyone wishes to read a first-hand account of what it was like to live as a partisan may I recommend "Fire without smoke" by Florian Mayevski, sub-titled "Memoirs of a Polish Partisan" ISBN 085303 461 3, published by Valentine Mitchell.

Florian is personally known to me and is a lovely man.

As a young man he fought as a partisan in the Polish Home Army at a time when few Jews did so but had to hide his Jewish identity from his comrades to ensure that the men in the group he commanded would obey his orders.

Back to me if you require any further info

Thank you, Ron. The book sounds very interesting, and is now on my list of ones to read:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fire-Without...872291&sr=11-1

There is still controversy surrounding the Armia Krajowa's relationships with Jews, with different sourcing citing examples of assistance and/or extreme antagonism between the two groups. I have read about the lengths members of the AK went to obtain evidence of the camps to pass on to the Allies, and also of some groups of the AK deliberately betraying Jewish individuals to the Nazis. So difficult to untangle the various stories.

Has Mr Mayevski ever discussed the problems faced by Jewish people in the AK, or the AK's attitude towards Jews?

Originally Posted by Kyt

Thank you, Ron. The book sounds very interesting, and is now on my list of ones to read:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fire-Without...872291&sr=11-1

There is still controversy surrounding the Armia Krajowa's relationships with Jews, with different sourcing citing examples of assistance and/or extreme antagonism between the two groups. I have read about the lengths members of the AK went to obtain evidence of the camps to pass on to the Allies, and also of some groups of the AK deliberately betraying Jewish individuals to the Nazis. So difficult to untangle the various stories.

Has Mr Mayevski ever discussed the problems faced by Jewish people in the AK, or the AK's attitude towards Jews?

Kyte

The book, written at a strictly personal level and very graphically in Florian's own words, amply covers your last query.
In the last paragraph he says "I fought together with Poles & Germans so I know that not everyone was a fascist and anti-Semite" notwithstanding that, he was virtually forced out of Poland by the fresh waves of anti-semitism after the Six Day War in Israel"

In my opinion a must read.

Thanks Ron.

Amazon, here I come.

Another website - Eyewitness accounts of Russia's Jewish resistance during World War II

This site has a 19 film that can be viewed using Realplayer

http://www.jewishpartisans.net/
(note the address is similar to the above site but is .net not .org)

Interestingly, my wife has an uncle named Florian who was in the war and is of Polish descent. Will find out more.