Top Tweets for #JewishPartisans

Motke Ginsburg (z’’l) and his younger brother Tzalke escaped from the Ivie Ghetto after situating their parents and sisters with friendly peasants. They went to the village of Dokodova, where they were incorporated into the Russian otriad, Iskra. As Iskra grew into a large brigade of over 200 men, Motke and Tzalke were sent for a course in demolition. The group specialized in sabotage and, during the war, Motke was responsible for blowing up 17 trains loaded with Nazi soldiers and war material. Read more about Jewish partisan Motke Ginsburg (z’’l), born June 6, 1914: https://t.co/ZFEzAHY8zC #jewishpartisans

Born in Novogrudok, Poland, Samuel Zelwin came from a respected Jewish family of kosher butchers. When the Nazis invaded Poland, Samuel and his family were forced into the Novogrudok Ghetto. After nearly 5,000 Jews were murdered in December 1941, Samuel made a decision: escape or die trying. He fled into the forests of Belarus and joined the Bielski partisans, one of the largest Jewish resistance groups of World War II. There, he met Chaike Duszkin, who would later become his wife, Ida. They were married in the forest on February 12, 1942. Together, Sam and Ida risked their lives daily to help others survive. Sam helped secure food for the partisan community and took part in resistance operations against those responsible for the persecution and murder of Jews. Despite unimaginable hardship, the couple never lost their faith, their compassion, or their commitment to helping others. Their courage saved lives. Their legacy endures. Today, Samuel and Ida's family includes children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and beyond—a living testament to Jewish resistance and survival. From two young partisans who refused to surrender came generations of life. The Nazis sought to erase them. Instead, Samuel and Ida built a legacy that continues to grow. That is the power of resistance. That is the power of defiance. #JewishPartisans #HolocaustHistory #HolocaustEducation #JewishResistance #BielskiPartisans #NeverForget #ActsOfDefiance #SurvivalAndResistance

Stan Felson (Zalman Feigelson) (z''l) escaped the massacre of most of the 5,500 Jews of his hometown of Glubokie, Poland by fleeing into the forests. He then joined a partisan unit under the command of a Russian partisan named Markov. Stan later returned to the Glubokie Ghetto to rescue his family, convincing his younger brother Don to join the partisans. In the spring of 1943, they joined the Panomorenko Otriad. There Stan led a combat group of 20 men that sabotaged German transportation and communication lines. They were liberated by the Russian Army in 1944. Read more about Stan’s incredible life here: https://t.co/u0Uj8iOzWw #jewishpartisans

Jewish partisan Boris Kot (z"l) was born on May 8, 1925, in Kovno (Kaunas), Lithuania. At the of age 18, Boris was the only surviving member of his family after Jews in the Kovno Ghetto were forced to assemble and a selection took place. In 1943, Boris narrowly escaped from the ghetto to join a Russian partisan group, where he faced anti-Semitism. He went on missions to sabotage German trains, railroads, and bridges, cut communication lines, and also helped gather food for the group. With the help of Bricha, an underground Jewish organization, Boris eventually went to Germany, where he stayed in a Displaced Persons camp in the American Zone for three years. In 1949, Boris arrived in Massachusetts, where he lived until his passing on January 28, 1997. Read more about Boris' incredible life here: https://t.co/XW1uttslET #JewishPartisans

At just 15 years old, Julius (Yehuda) Rytman lost nearly his entire family during the Holocaust after the Nazis invaded his village in Belarus. Refusing to surrender, he joined a partisan group in the forests, fighting back against the Nazis and surviving a near execution after making a daring escape. After the war, Julius met Dora Gurewicz, another young survivor who had lost her family in the Holocaust. Together, they rebuilt their lives, immigrated to the United States, and created a legacy of resilience, family, and perseverance. Read their incredible story here: https://t.co/DJ1NJaxz1l #JewishPartisans

"We proved that we are people that survived because we fought for it, not because somebody else was fighting for us.” - Solomon Lapidus Shortly after his 20th birthday, Sol Lapidus (z"l) escaped from a German POW camp in Belarus, crawling to the shelter of the woods. Joining a Russian partisan brigade, he went on missions to blow up bridges and derail Nazi supply trains. He quickly earned respect within the partisan ranks for his demolition expertise. Discovering that the all-Jewish Bielski partisan brigade was camped nearby, Sol visited the group regularly, meeting their leader Tuvia Bielski in September 1942. The two men quickly forged a strong bond, and together they organized joint operations between their groups. Capitalizing on his standing within his own partisan unit, Sol made certain that the Bielski brigade was armed and had essential supplies, contributing to the survival of 1,200 Bielski partisans at the war’s end. Learn more about Sol Lapidus, who was born May 10, 1921, and watch his video testimony here: https://t.co/5CNHd0JLPv #JewishPartisans

In 1942, at the age of 16, Lilka Ticktin Bielski (z’’l) escaped to the nearby forest and joined the Bielski partisans after surviving the massacre of more than 5,000 Jews in Lida. As the group continued to grow, so did the love between Lilka and the group’s leader, Tuvia Bielski, whom she had previously met in Lida before the brigade’s formation. They were married in the woods and Lilka assumed the duties of the commander’s wife, often standing guard over the camp, gun in hand. Lilka and Tuvia’s love, forged in the forest, was enduring. They were married for 45 years until his death in 1987. Lilka Ticktin Bielski (z’’l) passed away in September of 2001. Read more about Lilka, born January 13, 1926, on our website: https://t.co/x4IjRtwvc0 #Jewishpartisans #BielskiBrigade

Jewish partisan Norman Salsitz (z''l) organized a group of 55 people and escaped from the ghetto into the surrounding forest. Norman went on to help save the city of Krakow and its inhabitants from German destruction. Disguised as a Polish officer, he infiltrated the headquarters of a company that installed explosives around Krakow, and planned to detonate them upon German retreat. With the help of a woman who eventually became his wife, he located the blueprints for the network of explosives, and helped the Polish Army locate and diffuse the bombs. Learn more about Norman Salsitz, born May 6, 1920, here: https://t.co/zaV77C4kwr #Jewishpartisans

During the Holocaust, Ruth was taken by the Nazis to Auschwitz but managed to escape by jumping from the train. She evaded the gas chambers and later joined the partisans to fight back against the Nazis. Here’s Ruth with her granddaughter Opal, who serves as an officer in the IDF. Ruth triumphed.