The Avengers

By Raquel Lesser on April 22, 2017

The Avengers and the documentary “Partisans of Vilna” reflect multiple tactics used by the Jews to rebel against the Nazis such as hiding in the ghetto, and the woods (Abba Kovner, Vitka Kerpner and  Ruzka Korczake). There was also a group of women who rebelled too. This is one of the first wars women rebelled in.  In both of these books and documentaries they describe what it is like to be in a Jewish rebellion. Both the movie and the book describe the place of Vilna as a place for the Jews. But each Jew has their own way of rebelling.

Vilna was originally apart of Soviet Russia, then it became a no man’s land. Finally, the Germans took over the land. But it was always the land for the Jewish people, according to the documentary “Partisans of Vilna.” Vilna had a town, originally and then a ghetto for the Jews was made. Gens was made leader of the Vilna Ghetto and helped the Germans arrest Jews. “Gens was committed to a policy of working with the Germans.”(Cohen 49).

In the book Vitka, Abba, Ruzka are three friends that meet in the ghetto resistance. “Abba said, “The three of us. I sleep in the middle.” (Cohen 49). All three of them were inseparable.  Ruzka lived with her father. He took her out of school to work on a farm. Ruzka became a Zionist and joined a Zionist group. Her father understood why she left. Ruzka then found her a way to the Ghetto and she meets Vitka there. They automatically connect. Later they meet Abba. They later form the UPO (United Partisans Organization). This group also involves Wittenberg, a Jewish Communist. “Overtime Abba, Ruzka and Vitka came to see him as a father, someone to trust even the bleakest moment.” (Cohen 52.) This group originally begins in the ghetto. In the ghetto the Jews in the resistance steal the Germans guns to fight back. They knock down telephone poles and stop trains.

In both the movie and the book Gens turns in Wittenberg. After that event occurs The UPO decides to fight in the woods. “Someone said, “Save the ghetto.” Someone else said, “Get Wittenberg.” (Cohen 79).  This caused great controversy all over the ghetto.  Until one day a rabbi says you should just give up on him. The ghetto gives up on Wittenberg and that is when they decide to go into forest.

Towards the end of the war the people who still fought in the Ghetto resistance got killed. The people who escape to the forest got threatened. “The family of everyone who escapes to the forest will be executed.” ( Cohen 85). The resistance in the Ghetto got sent to Ponar, a concentration camp but that didn’t stop the resistance for fighting back. Being in the resistance was very dangerous but the Jews would not stop the fight “Let us defend ourselves to our very last breath.” (Cohen 51).

The forest was safer than the ghetto and they got a lot of work done such as bombing trains and bombing bridges. “That is for Ponar.” (Cohn 129). Abba said. The forest attracted a lot of communists and Jews. The forest even attracted many women. Women began fighting in the resistance. In the past during wars women weren’t allowed to fight but in the resistance they were. This proved women were strong. This was also good for the feminist movement. “Women were stronger than men.” (Cohen 128). Women fighting in the resistance were shown in the book and also the  documentary “Partisans of Vilna.”

The resistance was never going to give up the fight. Even after Wittenberg or when they were caught by Nazis they never gave up. Even when it was dangerous to fight in the ghetto they still fought back. They were going to fight till the death. “It is better to die as free men fighting than to live by the grace of murders.” (Cohen 69.)

The resistance had a harsh side to them, only because of “survival of the fittest.”  Giving up on Wittenberg was a harsh decision but only the strongest could survive. The nicest people never survive. Abba is harsh to the towns people to get guns but they claim they don’t have. “Give us the guns” said Abba “Or we will shoot him.” (Cohen 117). You have to be selfish to survive. In order to join the UPO the resistance had to leave their mother and father and not care if they died. One girl refused to join the resistance because of that.

Even the Jews of the resistance were treated badly. Some of them if they were caught were sent to concentration camps and were arrested. “There was the SS Soldier in Lublin who hung Jewish Partisans by the scrotum.” (Cohen 120). In the documentary one of the resistance was kicked and beaten by a Nazi. Even in the resistance themselves they were treated badly. “The Russian had lived in a world where Jews could be abused without consequences.” (Cohen 115). The Jews in the resistance weren’t only treated badly by Nazis and people but also there were many diseases in the forest and ghetto.

The diseases affected many of the people in the resistance. While the ghetto was dealing with the diseases there, the forest was also dealing with diseases. There was typhus going around the forest and ghetto, according to the movie. Some people even died because of the diseases. There was a nurse to take care of everyone.

After the ghetto resistance was destroyed the forest resistance really took off. “Ruzka said there was no going back; these people had no lives to return to.” (Cohen  160). That is why the Jews didn’t give up because they had nothing left. More Jews and communist seemed to join in. The people who survived the ghetto resistance joined the forest resistance.

The resistance’s mission at the end was to get the Jews to Palestine. Everyone started to become a Zionist. “We must get these people to Palestine.” (Cohen 160). The Jews called it a “Bricha.” Zionism is the belief that there should be a Jewish country and the Israel saved the Jews in the end. Without Israel the Jews would not survive  the Holocaust. The British announced the Palestine was a safe place for the Jews. Many people of the resistances fled to Palestine.

In the documentary “Partisans of Vilna” they talk about the people of the resistance singing songs. They sang songs to give each other hope.   The following is a song they sang in the forest resistance:

“Life summoned us

The life of sun-filled days

Everyone in the land strode in such high spirits

Each on its own path

To:one two three

Repeat

Off to work

Every step has its sound

Every road has its song

When you go, and you know where and why”  (“Partisans of Vilna”)

 

The song motivated the people of the resistance. They don’t talk about the songs in the book as much. They sang the songs in the ghetto and the forest resistance.  Here is another song that was sang by the resistance:

“It was a summer day

Sunny, lovely as always

And nature was

So full of charm

The birds sang

And danced around happily

And they ordered us into the Ghetto.

Now we are all sealed in” (Partisans of Vilna)

 

These songs show the hardship that the Jews in the ghetto had to deal with it. A lot of the ghetto resistance and forest resistance used their talents to fight back. The people who were strong fought with guns. The people who were artistic help made things to fight back or wrote a song. The people who were good with medication became doctors. They used their strengths to fight back.

Ruzka and many other resistance made it to Israel. That was some of the forest and ghetto resistances goal was to go to Israel. “To Ben-Gurion, Ruzka’s passion was a relic, an example of “Ghetto thinking.” (Cohen 183).  People like Ruzka were recognized for their bravery.

After the Holocaust was over the people of the resistance stayed in touch with each other.

“Dear Vikta,

I had begun doubting I would ever hear from you. I have hundreds of thoughts, one more gloomy than the next. How could I explain your silence?” (Cohen 184).

 

Eventually Abba comes to Israel. “In October, after Abba had been in Palestine a month, he wrote Vikta in Paris.” (Cohn 201). In the ghetto and forest resistance the Jews and communist made friendships that would never break. They made friends for life. Some even married each other.

Later, some people from the resistance worked on a kibbutz. “Each day, before dawn, Abba and Vikta and ruzka worked in the fields with kibbutzniks, some from Europe, some born in Palestine.” (Cohen 225).  The Kibbutz was a good place for the resistance to live because the resistance works like a Kibbutz.  The people work together.

“I knew we had won,” Ben Gurion later said.” (Cohen 235).  In 1948 Israel became a country. This is what the resistance hoped for. Many of them were Zionist  but Israel got attacked by Egypt and many of the surrounding countries. Israel is always under attack now a days but Israel is what saved the Jewish people.

Many of the people in the resistance went to America or Israel. They have their own families but they will never forget what they have been through. “The moment I joined the FPO, my whole life changed. –there was a goal to fight?for  – I would give up my life without hesitation.” (“Partisans of Vilna) The people of the resistance never gave up the fight even the ones in the ghetto that knew they were going to die. They fought for their beliefs and rights.

There are different types of the resistance whether it was girls fights or the ghetto resistance or the forest resistance, they fought for their lives. They fought for a Jewish country. This shows if a person works for what you believe it will come true.  Abba and Vikta and Ruzka were many of the people that fought for their rights. If it weren’t for people like them the Jewish people would not have a place to go. The documentary “Partisans of Vilna” and The Avengers show a story of triumph. The resistance is a very important part of people’s history and it will always be remembered.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Follow Uloop

Apply to Write for Uloop News

Join the Uloop News Team

Discuss This Article

Back to Top

Log In

Contact Us

Upload An Image

Please select an image to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format
OR
Provide URL where image can be downloaded
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format

By clicking this button,
you agree to the terms of use

By clicking "Create Alert" I agree to the Uloop Terms of Use.

Image not available.

Add a Photo

Please select a photo to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format