68th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
“We did not dream about Polish or English commando units who would rescue us. We dreamt about guns. I know, I know, it wouldn’t have changed anything. But – as the song says - »It’s not about reaching the destination but about walking on the sunny side«. We weren’t able to win but we wanted to walk on the sunny side. These are such beautiful words: dignity, humanity. That’s what we were trying to save” – Marek Edelman said about the fight with Nazi soldiers who started the liquidation of the ghetto on April 19th, 1943.
Wreaths were also laid at the plaques commemorating the Council to Aid Jews – “Żegota” – and Szmul Zygielbojm, and at the bunker of Mordechaj Anielewicz at 18 Miła Street, where leaders of the ghetto uprising died on May 8th, 1943.
The celebrations of the 68th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising started on March 30th with the debate “If you don’t help me, I will help you, God”. Among its participants were Halina Bortnowska, rabbi Michael Schudrich, Prof. Paweł Śpiewak and Piotr Paziński. Before the debate, devoted to the spiritual fight and faith during the war, was held the screening of the film “Campo di Fiori” by Michał Nekanda-Trepka.
On April 13th at the Nożyk Synagogue was held a concert of Yiddish songs in modern interpretations performed by Dmitri Slepovitch. Slepovitch also gave the lecture “Discovering the forgotten country: musical Jewish travels through Lithuania”.
On April 14th at the Muranów Cultural Center, Anna Ciałowicz from the Jewish Community in Warsaw presented the lecture “Underground city. Hidden life of the Warsaw ghetto”. On the same day was held the vernissage of the exhibition “Behind the wall. The creation of the Warsaw Ghetto – photos from 1940” which can be seen on the wall of the Stefan Żeromski Park.
On April 17th at the Jewish Theater in Warsaw were presented medals “Warsaw Ghetto Uprising” and afterwards the play “A song about the murdered Jewish people” was staged. On April 18th was also held an educational trip around the former ghetto, organized by the Jewish Community in Warsaw.
The history of the Warsaw Ghetto, its everyday life, uprising and end are presented in the book “Warsaw Ghetto. A guide to the Perished City” by Barbara Engelking-Boni and Jacek Leociak.
There were two conspiratorial armed organizations in the Warsaw Ghetto: the Jewish Combat Organization (Żydowska Organizacja Bojowa, ŻOB – Mordechaj Anielewicz was its commandant) and the Jewish Military Union (Żydowski Związek Wojskowy, ŻZW). Altogether they had a few hundred of soldiers who either bought and made their guns themselves or received them from the Home Army.
On April 19th, 1943 the Nazis entered the ghetto in order to pursue its ultimate liquidation. The uprising began. The Germans had about 2.000 soldiers, tanks and artillery. Jurgen Stroop was their commander.
During the first few days, the rebels attacked: the biggest battles took place on Nalewki and Zamenhofa Streets, on the territory of the broom-makers’ workshop on Franciszkańska Street, defended by the Bund, and at the Muranów Square, where the Jewish Military Union groups were fighting.
However, the insurgents were growing weaker. After few days the Nazis started to set fire to the houses in the ghetto and to kill people who hiding in underground shelters. On May 8th, 1943 the shelter of the ŻOB Command at 18 Miła Street was detected by the Germans – that is when a group of rebels, including commandant Mordechaj Anielewicz and his family, committed suicide. Two days later another group – with Cywia Lubetkin and Marek Edelman – left the ghetto through sewers and was transported to a forest near Łomianki.
During the uprising, Nazis caught 56.000 people – some of them were instantly executed, the others were sent to the extermination camps in Treblinka and Majdanek. On May 16th, 1943 Jurgen Stroop blew up the Great Synagogue on Tłomackie Street, announcing the end of the Jewish district in Warsaw.
