Inside The Zemlyanka

[Sayeret]

What would you do if you had to survive a freezing winter in the woods, with no special tools or materials for building a shelter? What if you didn't want anyone to find you? How would you make your shelter without attracting attention, and then, once you'd built it, how would you disguise it?

Partisans hiding in the forests of Eastern Europe faced these dilemmas. They made shelters they called zemlyankas, from the Russian word for "dugout". Their building materials were taken from the forest itself, and whenever possible, from nearby villages. Careful to hide any evidence of their location, they usually did this work at night.


http://www.jewishpartisans.org/students/zemlyanka/index.php

[Drako]

Hmm, I looked at that site and it looks damn biased.


In Western and Southern Europe there was a small Jewish population, which was treated with more far more tolerance than the Jews in Eastern Europe, who often suffered from religious and governmental antisemitism. In Western Europe, where antisemitism was not as prevalent, few all-Jewish units were formed. In Eastern Europe, there were Jewish partisans who formed all-Jewish units to protect themselves from non-Jewish antisemitic partisans and locals.

What a bs. Soon we'll learn that in Eastern Europe there was a regular war between Jews and and non-jewish partisans or regular units. :cantbeli: :cantbeli:

[Sayeret]

Hmm, I looked at that site and it looks damn biased.


In Western and Southern Europe there was a small Jewish population, which was treated with more far more tolerance than the Jews in Eastern Europe, who often suffered from religious and governmental antisemitism. In Western Europe, where antisemitism was not as prevalent, few all-Jewish units were formed. In Eastern Europe, there were Jewish partisans who formed all-Jewish units to protect themselves from non-Jewish antisemitic partisans and locals.

What a bs. Soon we'll learn that in Eastern Europe there was a regular war between Jews and and non-jewish partisans or regular units. :cantbeli: :cantbeli:

I don't recall ever hearing about all Jewish partisan units being formed to fight anti-Semitic partisans but many of the Jewish partisans that fought along gentile partisans were persecuted in one way or another. For example being given less food than the other troops. Also there were several times that Jewish partisans were attack by villagers because they were anti-Semitic. This thread actually addresses that:

http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=46308

[Drako]

Hmm, I looked at that site and it looks damn biased.


In Western and Southern Europe there was a small Jewish population, which was treated with more far more tolerance than the Jews in Eastern Europe, who often suffered from religious and governmental antisemitism. In Western Europe, where antisemitism was not as prevalent, few all-Jewish units were formed. In Eastern Europe, there were Jewish partisans who formed all-Jewish units to protect themselves from non-Jewish antisemitic partisans and locals.

What a bs. Soon we'll learn that in Eastern Europe there was a regular war between Jews and and non-jewish partisans or regular units. :cantbeli: :cantbeli:

I don't recall ever hearing about all Jewish partisan units being formed to fight anti-Semitic partisans but many of the Jewish partisans that fought along gentile partisans were persecuted in one way or another. For example being given less food than the other troops. Also there were several times that Jewish partisans were attack by villagers because they were anti-Semitic. This thread actually addresses that:

http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=46308

Well, I've used the option on that site and asked a question about that. We'll see what kind of reply I'll get.

[Herrmannek]

Hmm, I looked at that site and it looks damn biased.


In Western and Southern Europe there was a small Jewish population, which was treated with more far more tolerance than the Jews in Eastern Europe, who often suffered from religious and governmental antisemitism. In Western Europe, where antisemitism was not as prevalent, few all-Jewish units were formed. In Eastern Europe, there were Jewish partisans who formed all-Jewish units to protect themselves from non-Jewish antisemitic partisans and locals.

What a bs. Soon we'll learn that in Eastern Europe there was a regular war between Jews and and non-jewish partisans or regular units. :cantbeli: :cantbeli:

I don't recall ever hearing about all Jewish partisan units being formed to fight anti-Semitic partisans but many of the Jewish partisans that fought along gentile partisans were persecuted in one way or another. For example being given less food than the other troops. Also there were several times that Jewish partisans were attack by villagers because they were anti-Semitic. This thread actually addresses that:

http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=46308
most jewsih partisants were in commie partisan groups so they killed(don't want go into that so stop arguing) and been killed wsio rawno and it had nothing to antisemitizm...

[Marmot1]

Hmm, I looked at that site and it looks damn biased.


In Western and Southern Europe there was a small Jewish population, which was treated with more far more tolerance than the Jews in Eastern Europe, who often suffered from religious and governmental antisemitism. In Western Europe, where antisemitism was not as prevalent, few all-Jewish units were formed. In Eastern Europe, there were Jewish partisans who formed all-Jewish units to protect themselves from non-Jewish antisemitic partisans and locals.

What a bs. Soon we'll learn that in Eastern Europe there was a regular war between Jews and and non-jewish partisans or regular units. :cantbeli: :cantbeli:


I don't recall ever hearing about all Jewish partisan units being formed to fight anti-Semitic partisans but many of the Jewish partisans that fought along gentile partisans were persecuted in one way or another. For example being given less food than the other troops. Also there were several times that Jewish partisans were attack by villagers because they were anti-Semitic. This thread actually addresses that:

http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=46308
most jewsih partisants were in commie partisan groups so they killed(don't want go into that so stop arguing) and been killed wsio rawno and it had nothing to antisemitizm...

Yeh, what he said I do not recall any all jewish armed resistance groups in estern europe except ŻOB (Jewish Combat organization (sp?) ) in warsaw ghetto uprising... Indeed there were many jewish partisants fighting against germans and I do not denny this but abovementioned text is pure bull****.

[CMEPTb]

I am no expert on the subject but I do know that my grandmother's brother fought with the partisans. He never told them he was Jewish out of fear of being betrayed to the Germans for food/vodka. It would not surprise me in the least if there were small all Jewish partisan units operating in occupied areas (especially near concentration camps from which they might have escaped)

[Marmot1]

I am no expert on the subject but I do know that my grandmother's brother fought with the partisans. He never told them he was Jewish out of fear of being betrayed to the Germans for food/vodka. It would not surprise me in the least if there were small all Jewish partisan units operating in occupied areas (especially near concentration camps from which they might have escaped)
Near the concentration camps resistance activity was rather extremally hard since german activity/patroling was increased in order to apperhand anyone who wanted to escape or get in (yes some ppl tried to infiltrate it) There were of course some units that conisted mostly of jews like i.e. tank maitenance platoon during warsaw uprising which was created form jewish volouteers liberated from Gesiowka camp( I have some photos but unfortunatelly at home and I am out of home for some time) The problem is that most of jewish volouteers in regular units (not city hit-squads) joined communist partisans, and those were not loved both by germans and by poles since their agenda (commie partisans) was antipolish and prosoviet, thus from obvious reasons usualy they avoided contact witch each other focusing on fighting germans. Polish Home Army was entitled by Polish goverment on exile to maintain order and Judical system in occupied Poland (ad-hoc trials of traitors-colaborators and bandits) thus sometimes they actively hunted for communist partisans when local population reported troubles with them (By many soviet partisans were considered as regular bandits due to their behavor- requisitions of food, money, impresment of "volounteers" etc.)

Edit sorry I messed 2 topics in one.

[CMEPTb]

I have no idea about how these things were in Poland. I know that my grandfather fought in the partisans around Baranovichi area in Belorussia (spelling?) and there was a concentration camp and some sort of ghetto near by (a family of Jews bribed their way out and managed to join the partisans). I'm assuming that if some Jews managed to escape, and the soviet partisans opperated in the area for years, its also possible for Jewish partisans to do the same. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think its possible.

[Herrmannek]

I have no idea about how these things were in Poland. I know that my grandfather fought in the partisans around Baranovichi area in Belorussia (spelling?) and there was a concentration camp and some sort of ghetto near by (a family of Jews bribed their way out and managed to join the partisans). I'm assuming that if some Jews managed to escape, and the soviet partisans opperated in the area for years, its also possible for Jewish partisans to do the same. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think its possible.
It was prolly Poland then :)

[mack pl]

It was prolly Poland then :)

it was Poland only from administration point of view, but in Baranowicze area native Belarussians were majority ;)

anyway, Ive never heard about independent Jewish partisans units, but it doesnt meant its not true...but its hard to belive for me, because such units needed support from outside for theirs activity...If they were formed to fight against Germans, they needed ammo, wepons, explosives etc., so maybe those Jewish partisans groups were formed by Soviets(or under Soviet command)...maybe! But maybe we are talking about groups of Jews, who were only hiding from Germans, and didnt want to fight against them..BTW Ive read on this site about Zemlyanka's that they were afraid of Polish colaborants, It would mean that those Jews havent got even weapon to defend themselves, so they couldnt been partisans. ..But Im only wondering..I'll try to do some research about that. Anyway, as Marmot1 already said, Jews haven't got any independent resistance organisation, except ŻOB in Warsaw.

Shalom alehem ;)

[Drako]

Hmm, I looked at that site and it looks damn biased.


In Western and Southern Europe there was a small Jewish population, which was treated with more far more tolerance than the Jews in Eastern Europe, who often suffered from religious and governmental antisemitism. In Western Europe, where antisemitism was not as prevalent, few all-Jewish units were formed. In Eastern Europe, there were Jewish partisans who formed all-Jewish units to protect themselves from non-Jewish antisemitic partisans and locals.

What a bs. Soon we'll learn that in Eastern Europe there was a regular war between Jews and and non-jewish partisans or regular units. :cantbeli: :cantbeli:

I don't recall ever hearing about all Jewish partisan units being formed to fight anti-Semitic partisans but many of the Jewish partisans that fought along gentile partisans were persecuted in one way or another. For example being given less food than the other troops. Also there were several times that Jewish partisans were attack by villagers because they were anti-Semitic. This thread actually addresses that:

http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=46308

Well, I've used the option on that site and asked a question about that. We'll see what kind of reply I'll get.

Ok. I've recieved a reply. My question was:


how many (if any) antisemitic Polish partisans units you have encountered during the war and how numerous were groups of collaborators/antisemitic locals you had to fight against?

I was answered by Frank Blaichman:

The was quite a lot of antisemtism in the partisans. It was the same all throughout Poland. Anywhere you were hiding there were problems, especially with the AK. The locals were antisemitic but they were not killers. When they saw that we took care of German collaborators they were more willing to help us. Without their help we would have never survived.

What made me curious was the mention of AK being a problem for Jewish partisans. I looked into Blaichman's biography and here is what I found:

Frank's squad joined a larger all-Jewish unit, with strong ties to the Polish underground and Soviet army. They were responsible for protecting 200 Jews living in a forest encampment. Only 21, he was the youngest platoon commander in the unit and escorted the future prime minister of Poland to a secret meeting with Soviet high command.

My guess is that the "problems" weren't about them being Jews but about them collaborating with Soviets who, as we know, weren't very popular among the AK soldiers and locals.