Page 20 - Jewish News_January 2022

20A January 2022 JEWISH INTEREST

The heroes of Vilna

By Paul R. Bartrop, PhD
hile much remembrance this Three weeks later, on January 21, and equipment in German factories to Kovner and went out into the street
month will settle on the 80 1942, the Faraynigte Partizaner Or- where underground members worked; with the words “Ich gehe” (“I go”).
th
Wanniversary of the Wannsee ganizatzye was established. Repre- and forged documents for fellow Jews. Gens accepted the surrender in person.
Conference in Berlin, which system- sentatives from Vilna’s major Jewish Where possible, they also attempted to Wittenberg was taken out of the
atized the Final Solution, another event youth groups met: Abba Kovner from obtain weapons and prepared Molotov ghetto and handed over to the Ger-
– just one day after the conference – is Hashomer Hatzair, Josef Glazman from cocktails for use whenever an uprising mans. When they came to his cell the
worthy of note as an Betar, Yitzhak Wittenberg and Chyena might take place. Before they had the next day to begin their interrogation,
expression of resis- Borowska representing the communists, opportunity to do so, however, fate in- they found him dead. He had taken
tance to the Nazis’ and Nissan Reznik of Hanoar Hazioni. tervened. poison to avoid the torture that was
ambitions. Other groups joined soon after. In early 1943, a Polish communist awaiting him.
The United Par- In establishing themselves as a re- by the name of Kozlovsky was captured In July 1943, Abba Kovner be-
tisan Organization sistance movement, the group had mul- by the Gestapo. Under extreme torture, came the leader of the FPO, but by then
(Fareynegte Parti- tiple aims: to prepare for mass armed he was forced to divulge the names of a rift had opened within the organiza-
zaner Organizatye resistance in the ghetto; to perform acts any other resisters, and one, a Lithu- tion. Some members argued that the
Dr. Paul Bartrop or FPO) was a Jew- of sabotage; to join the partisans where anian partisan named Vitas, was re- ghetto could not be defended because
ish underground organization estab- possible; and to convey the message vealed. Vitas was also captured. When most Jews were not prepared to fight.
lished in the ghetto of Vilna (Vilnius) to other ghettos that they, too, should in due course he also was tortured, he The best way to resist the Nazis, they
on January 21, 1942. revolt. Wittenberg was appointed com- surrendered the name of Yitzhak Wit- felt, was through escaping to the forest
Throughout December 1941, mem- mander, with Glazman and Kovner his tenberg, the FPO commander. where they would join the partisans.
bers of various Jewish youth groups in staff officers. The FPO was one of the Jacob Gens, the chairman of the The first group left on July 24, 1943,
Vilna discussed options for resistance first ghetto resistance organizations to Vilna Jewish Council (Judenrat), knew calling themselves the “Leon” unit in
to the Nazis. Over time, a nascent re- be established. about the FPO existence and main- honor of Wittenberg’s resistance code-
sistance movement began to form, and The FPO then sent emissaries tained contact with Wittenberg and name.
it was decided to remain in the ghetto to Grodno, Białystok and Warsaw, other leaders. On July 8, 1943, the September 1, 1943, saw the liqui-
and fight rather than trying to escape. spreading the resistance message and Germans ordered Gens to find Witten- dation of the ghetto. Led by Kovner,
On December 31, 1941, before a gath- informing them of the murders that had berg and surrender him. Thus, on the the remaining FPO commanders is-
ering of 150 members of the He-Halutz been taking place in Vilna. An attempt night of July 15, 1943, Gens, together sued a call for the Jews not to go “like
(Pioneer) youth movement at Straszu- was also made to send several female with Salek Desler, chief of the Jewish sheep to slaughter,” and rose in revolt.
na 2, Abba Kovner made a speech in emissaries (kashariyot) into the Soviet police, called Wittenberg and others to When the battle seemed lost, they es-
which he proclaimed that “Hitler plans Union, but they were arrested by the his office for a “meeting.” It was a trap. caped through the sewers to the forests,
to destroy all the Jews of Europe, and Germans before they reached safety. After a few moments, armed SS men where they established themselves as
the Jews of Lithuania have been chosen Most managed to escape, however, and appeared with machine guns drawn. Jewish battalions within the Soviet
as the first in line. We will not be led made their way back to Vilna. Desler identified Wittenberg, who was partisan movement.
like sheep to the slaughter!” Kovner At its height, the FPO had some immediately arrested. Meanwhile, back in the ghetto,
declared that up to now all Jews taken 300 organized members. They carried Although he was rescued by mem- most of those who did not join the re-
from Vilna had been murdered. In re- out acts of sabotage beyond the ghetto bers of the FPO, the Nazis told Gens volt – the majority – were captured and
sponse, he called upon young Jews to confines, such as the mining of rail- that if he did not return Wittenberg sent to labor camps in Estonia, where
organize for armed struggle against the way lines used by trains going to the immediately, they would liquidate the they were murdered by the SS. FPO
Germans. front lines; they sabotaged weapons entire ghetto and everyone in it. The members, on the other hand, now that
terrified inhabitants demanded from they had been transformed into Sovi-
VICTIMS. RESISTERS.HEROES.DENIERS. Gens that Wittenberg be handed over. et partisans, lived to participate in the

During the day, Wittenberg met
liberation of Vilna by the Red Army on
with members of the leadership group. July 13, 1944. “Terrific Teams” by Yoni Glatt, koshercrosswords@gmail.com
ABOUT He contemplated taking his life, but Paul R. Bartrop is Professor Emeritus
Holocaust mans had demanded him alive. Fear- the Center for Holocaust and Geno-
LearningTHE word arrived from Gens that the Ger- of History and the former Director of

ful of the consequences for the ghetto
cide Research at Florida Gulf Coast
FOUR-PART LECTURE SERIES population, he then handed command University.
• Victims of Nazi Atrocities
Be in the Know!
• Jewish Resistance During B e i n t h e K n o w !
the Holocaust

• Forged By Fire: Heroes of
the Holocaust

• Holocaust Denial

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