In January of 1942 the Fareynegte Partizaner Organizatsy (FPO), also known as the United Partisan Organization, was established in the Vilna Ghetto in Lithuania. The FPO grew quickly mostly consisting of the Zionist youth within Vilna. Their actions may have started as small acts of insubordination, but would work up into larger organized plans. It was this participation and the leadership of Abba Kovner that put the fight for survival in these young men; which in turn would render them survivors. When people joined and participated in the partisan groups they grant themselves a better mentality as well as a better chance against oppression. The story of the FPO and some of its members will surely outline this truth in the actions they took and the outcome of them as well. Abba Kovner started the FPO and brought people together as one; a huge part of survival (Rosenberg). For those who wished to be a part had the ability to lean on each other.
Lithuania had a very large Jewish population. In fact, when the Nazis decided to set up camps there it was divided into two sections. Adolf Hitler was quoted referring to one of these sections as "a pen attached to an abattoir, where the human cattle are kept in readiness for the slaughter of the fields" (Eckman, 18). When Jews were starting to be murdered Abba Kovner, one the largest influence of the Vilna Ghetto, knew he had to take action. When he decided to fight, Abba, also known as Uri, called out to the Zion youth to build a family called the United Partisan Organization. This group consisted of many of the Jewish youth groups in Vilna. The largest meeting occurred on New Years Eve, in hopes to hide the meeting from the Germans. Abba gathered over 150 people and spoke about the oppression yelling “Hitler plans to destroy all the Jews of Europe, and the Jews of Lithuania have been chosen as the first in line” and “Brothers! Better to fall as free fighters than to live by the mercy of the murderers” (Isseroff). This was of the earliest formations of Jewish resistance groups in Lithuania (Sutton, 117). Abba’s role of leadership and strength brought several of the groups together as one organization. He called out, “Brothers! Better to fall as free fighters than to live by the mercy of the murderers.” This alone shows the strength, pride, and the want for survival when resistance is built.
For those people who chose to join the FPO or any other partisan group was able to gain from it in many ways. For those who became members, you can have more pride and strength in numbers. Just being a part of the FPO allowed you to have friends and support in all matters (Faitelson, 99). The FPO took care of everyone who was making a stand together. While inside the ghettos the fighters keep an eye out and created a more safe feeling. Just the family and assistance everyone showed everyone really strengthen the minds and hearts of the captive and jailed Jewish Population. In a similar way, when the FPO eventually fled to the forests, the moral and mentality stayed strong as everyone lived together for each other. These things keep the stable mind on the partisans and would continue to do so while they fought and survived one of the most destructive pieces of history.
The resistance of the FPO that existed within the Vilna ghetto started off slowly but would eventually lead into a large battle. As they continued to grow the FPO was able to gain arms and weapons from other partisan groups as well as in the black markets allowing them to collect quite an armory (Sutton, 170). They would set up times in secret in homes and around to train and prepare (Isseroff). Yitzhak Wittenberg was appointed the leader and Uri acted as his second in command. Together these two men set up an operation of recruitment and building the skills of the current members. Ideally a plan was devised to stockpile munitions and arms to prepare for one large uprising destroying the Nazi arms and flee into the woods to join other existing partisans (Eckman, 27). And this preparation lasted for around a year until the time came to act. In August of 1943 the Nazis decided it was time to execute all of the Jews in Vilna due to the advancements of the Russians red army. However, the Nazi’s were in for a big surprise when the Ghetto started its revolt and uprising. On the first day of September of 1943 the FPO took up arms and started an all out fire fight with the Germans (Isseroff). The FPO was able to drive the Nazis out of the ghetto for the night, and the next morning the Jewish police and the Nazis went to clean up the mess. However, it was already planned that the FPO would then flee out into the forests to join the other partisans and continue the fight.
After a well planned assault and succeeding in grouping up in the forests the FPO was ready to move forward in resistance. With higher confidence for everyone involved; the FPO began planning ways to sabotage and aid their own people. Ideally, goals of slowing down the Nazis by taking out railroads and attacking shipments of goods started and the FPO was even successful in destroying actual train engines within Lithuania (Sutton, 182). Uri was noting talking about the first time he blew up a train. Uri was watching the train on a raised railroad bridge when, “My heart suddenly stopped beating for joy and fear. I pulled the string with all my strength, and in that moment, before the thunder of the explosion echoed through the air, and twenty-one railway cars full of troops hurtled down into the abyss” (Isseroff). Aside from direct attacks such as the one mentioned just before was attacking power supplies and water supplies of the Nazis. The moral of the FPO rose higher and higher after each attack they made against their former oppressors. The ability to fight back and come after the people who had once imprisoned you strengthened each member.
Abba Kovner created and led one of the larger and earliest partisan groups called the Fareynegte Partizaner Organizatsy. He gathered and recruited the Jews in the ghetto where they were forced to live in Vilna. And in turn began a successful revolt that gained their freedom from the ghetto and the opportunity to continue to fight back. The support and the strength of the FPO made it easy for someone to fight. They were successful many times in sabotage and fire fights. The men and women of the FPO gained confidence and were able to hold onto the mental stability to organize, plan, and execute many operations. With the leadership of Kovner and the trust inside the FPO; they were able to save themselves and be survivors of the Holocaust. Much credit is due to being a part of the FPO and what it provided for those willing to join and put in their hearts, souls, and minds. For the men and women who did, it could be called their choice of life during that time.
Citations :
Jennifer Rosenberg. “Abba Kovner and Resistance in Vilna Ghetto” About.com 20th Century History. April 22, 2009 http://history1900s.about.com/od/holocaust/a/kovner_3.htm
Sutter, Karen. The Massacre of the Jews of Lithuania. Jerusalem, Israel: Gefen Publishing House Ltd, 2008
Faitelson, Alex. The Truth and Nothing but the Truth. Jerusalem, Israel: Gefen Publishing House Ltd, 2006
Eckman, Lester and Chaim Lazar. The Jewish Resistance. Sheng Old Publishers, Inc. New York City, 1977.
Isseroff, Ami “Vilna Ghetto Uprising Definition” Zionism and Israel - Encyclopedic Dictionary. April 22, 2009. http://www.zionism-israel.com/dic/Vilna_Ghetto.htm