TEACHING with DEFIANCE

www.jewishpartisans.org TEACHING with DEFIANCE HISTORY | ETHICS | LEADERSHIP | JEWISH VALUES WRITTEN BY MAYA BERNSTEIN, EDITED IN CONSULTATION WITH MICHAEL BERENBAUM CONTENTS 2 Who Are the Jewish Partisans? Lesson Overview 3 Who Are the Bielskis? Use the film Defiance—starring Daniel Craig 4 Introduction to this Curriculum and Liev Schreiber—to inspire and engage your 5 Guide students with the true story of the Bielski 6 Set-up and Procedure partisans. 7 - 8 Introduction to Units 9 - 12 History Units 13 - 16 Ethics Units 17 - 20 Leadership Units 21 - 24 Jewish Values Units 25 - 29 Partisan Testimonials 30 JPEF Films on Educator’s DVD 31 Public Performance Licensing of Defiance Conforms with Common Core Standards jewishpartisans.org/standards CURRICULUM ©2010 - 2014 JEWISH PARTISAN EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION T EA C HING W ITH D EFIANCE Who Are the Jewish Partisans? par·ti·san noun: a member of an organized body of fighters who attack or harass an enemy, especially within occupied territory; a guerrilla During World War II, the majority of European Jews were deceived by a monstrous and meticulous disinformation campaign. The Germans and their collaborators isolated and imprisoned Jews in ghettos. Millions were deported into concentration camps or death camps—primarily by convincing them that they we were being sent to labor camps instead. In reality, most Jews who entered these so-called “work camps” would be starved, murdered or worked to death. Yet approximately 30,000 Jews, many of whom were teenagers, escaped the Nazis to form or join organized resistance groups. These Jews are known as the Jewish partisans, and they joined hundreds of thousands of non-Jewish partisans who fought against the enemy throughout much of Europe. A group of Jewish members of the Lenin battalion of the Lipczany forest. 1944. Location: Belorussia. What Did They Do? Source: Museum of Jewish Heritage Partisans were determined to do battle with the Germans. They were not powerful enough to attack them frontally; that was the task of the Allied armies. But partisans could use speed, surprise, mobility and full knowledge of the area to attack the Germans and then Life Lessons of the escape before their enemies had time to confront them. Jewish partisans blew up thousands Jewish Partisans of German supply trains, convoys, and bridges, making it harder for the Germans to fight the war. Partisans also destroyed power plants and factories, focusing their attention on Most of the Jewish partisans that JPEF military and strategic targets, not on civilians. Jewish partisans forced the Germans to interviewed agreed that three important expend massive amounts of resources on combating them, disrupting their focus from life lessons must be passed on to future multiple fronts against the Allies. One German commander called the Jews a “dangerous generations: element” for their participation in partisan units in Russia.1 In Lithuania, where Jewish partisans made up approximately 10% of all partisan fighters, they were responsible for • Young people can make a difference 2 79% of derailed German trains and injuring nearly 50% of all enemy soldiers. Jewish • Stand up to tyranny, oppression, and partisans saved thousands of Jewish lives, in some cases literally breaking Jews out of the discrimination…early confines of well-guarded ghettos, and in at least one situation, digging a tunnel to free 250 people from a ghetto. It is important to note that many partisans credit three things • Never give up for their survival—luck, knowledge, and opportunity—not heroism, courage, and bravery. JPEF encourages educators to discuss How Did Other Jews Resist? these with their students throughout this lesson. Resistance against the Germans took many different forms. In addition to the physical resistance of the partisans and ghetto fighters, spiritual resistance took the form of prayer services, and teaching children to read Hebrew. Artistic resistance produced art What is JPEF? and poetry in ghettos and camps. Without taking up arms, these Jews stood in defiance to the Nazis, who sought to strip Jews not only of their lives, but also of their dignity and The Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation self-respect in order to facilitate the killing process. Jews countered the Germans and their develops and distributes effective collaborators in still other ways. Smugglers sent children to safety and couriers carried educational materials about the Jewish messages between the ghettos. Forgers created documents to ensure Jews safe passage to partisans, bringing the celebration of heroic non-occupied countries or create fake identity cards that allowed Jews to “pass” as non- resistance against tyranny into educational Jews. Jews in the work camps also sabotaged guns and other products they were forced to and cultural organizations. JPEF produces make for the Germans. lessons, study guides and films for 6th-12th grade History, English, Ethics, Leadership, Why Should We Learn About the Jewish Partisans? Jewish Studies and more. JPEF educational Most students falsely believe that Jews went “like sheep to the slaughter”. They perceive materials are a key curriculum component the Holocaust as a piece of Jewish history only about victimization and the loss of in thousands of Jewish and secular schools hope. The experience of thousands of Jewish partisans who stood up to tyranny and worldwide. oppression, fought courageously—and often successfully—against the Germans, and saved countless lives is an important part of Jewish history that few students are aware of. This information has the power to transform people’s perception of the Jewish experience 1. Documents of the Holocaust, edited by Yitzhak during the Holocaust, providing a clearer picture of Jewish heroism and character. After Arad, Israel Gutman, and Abraham Margaliot learning about the partisans, non-Jewish teens acquire a greater understanding about the (Lincoln, The University of Nebraska Press, Jewish people, leading to interfaith dialog and tolerance, while many Jewish teenagers Jerusalem, Yad Vashem 1999), 441–444. often feel empowered, developing a stronger sense of Jewish identity and pride. The story 2. Fighting Back, Dov Levin, (New York, Holmes & of the Jewish partisans is empowering, and demonstrates how young people can make a Meier Publishers, 1985), 196. positive difference in the world. Revision ID#: 3.4-twd ©2010 - 2014 JEWISH PARTISAN EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION www.jewishpartisans.org 2 - RESIST CURRICULUM T EA C HING W ITH D EFIANCE Who Are the Bielski Partisans? OPTIONAL: To play JPEF’s seven-minute mini-documentary Introduction to the Wolozyn ZYNA RIVER RE E Bielski Brothers – instead of or in addition to reading this page in class – go to B MINSK www.jewishpartisans.org/films or email [email protected]. NALIBOCKA FOREST Iwieniec Lida BYSIRA RIVER Paramount-Vintage’s filmDefiance (2009) depicts the incredible Naliboki Wsielub Novogrodek yet true story of the Bielski brothers: Tuvia, Zus, Asael, and Aron ESTONIA R E IV Korelicze Stolpce R (played by Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, Jamie Bell, and George EN M Zdzieciol IE MacKay, respectively). Against all odds during World War II, the N LITHUANIAIAA 939 Horodyszcze 1 Bielskis survived in the forest, fought the Nazis, and saved over - 1929 H-SOVIET BORDER a thousand Jewish lives. The motion picture’s availability on DVD S Baranovichi POLAND Slonim POLI allows educators and their students to explore the complexities of USSRUSSRR LIPICZANSKA FOREST the history and ethical dilemmas faced by the Bielskis. UKRAINE CZECHOSLOVAKIA Approximate activity of Bielski partisans in From the small village of Stankevich in Poland (now Belarus), the Eastern Poland (now Belarus) during war. HUNGARY Bielski brothers escaped the Nazis, who murdered their family and ROMANIA Source: Defiance: The Bielski Partisans, by most Jewish inhabits of their village. The brothers hid in a nearby Nechama Tec. Oxford University Press, 1993. forest, and later created a refuge for other Jews to join them. Not constant fear of being killed or harassed by their fellow partisans. only did the Bielskis hide and save lives, they also emerged from the trees on horseback, sub-machine guns strapped to their shoulders, In the forests, the only way many Jewish partisans like the Bielskis to attack German soldiers and their collaborators. In time, their could survive was by forming an alliance with the Soviet partisans forest camp became like a small town, complete with shoemakers who were also operating in the forest. and tailors, carpenters, and hat makers, a central square for social gatherings, a tannery that doubled as a synagogue, and even a The Soviet partisan units were comprised mostly of Red Army theater troupe. The actions of the brothers, led by the oldest, Tuvia, soldiers who fled and hid after Germany’s invasion of Poland constitute the largest rescue of Jews by Jews during the Holocaust. in June 1941. It is important to note that the Bielskis were not only tough; they were also shrewd. These qualities, along with a The Bielskis were part of a larger military presence; there were great deal of luck, allowed them to survive and to rescue others. hundreds of thousands of partisans—armed guerilla fighters behind Ultimately, the Bielski brothers saved the lives of 1,200 Jews, the enemy lines—all over Europe, fighting the Germans and their largest rescue of Jews by Jews during the Holocaust. (For more collaborators. Many partisans were former soldiers who escaped information about the Bielskis, including videos from Alan Bell, Nazi camps, or civilians who took up arms against their enemy. the last surviving Bielski brother, go to jewishpartisans.org/tuviabbio). Approximately 30,000 Jews fought as partisans, many others took part in unarmed resistance (see page 2 for more on armed and The Bielskis faced decisions that are unfathomable to most people; unarmed Jewish resistance). The majority of Jewish partisans fought they were living in the forest, without the protection of the in Poland, the Soviet Union (particularly Russia) and throughout the morality, ethics, and laws of society.

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