Federation Star - January 2018

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20A Federation Star January 2018 January 1943 in the Warsaw Ghetto By Paul R. Bartrop, PhD Seventy-five years ago this month, in January 1943, the Jews of the Warsaw Ghetto embarked upon a course of action which Nazi Germany considered impossible: they took up arms and, for the first time, fought back in an attempt to stop the Nazis from achieving their murderous aims. Through the summer of 1942, the Germans deported or executed more than 300,000 Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto. During a two-anda-half-month wave of deportations to Dr. Paul Bartrop Treblinka, from July 22 to September 12, 1942 – a period known to the Germans as “Gross-Aktion Warschau” (General Action Warsaw) – it was intended that this would end the Jewish presence in Warsaw. On average, more than 5,000 Jews were deported each day, leaving alive only somewhere between 55,000 and 60,000 by the time the operation came to a close. While those in the ghetto did not know the precise destination or fate of those who had been deported, vague reports of mass murder at Treblinka did manage to leak back. In response, members of Jewish youth groups, in particular Hashomer Hatzair, formed the Żydowska Organizacja Bojowa (ŻOB), or Jewish Fighting Organization, on July 28, 1942. They issued a proclamation calling on the ghetto residents not to go to the trains when ordered to do so. While the deportations were taking place, one member of Hashomer Hatzair, 23-year-old Mordecai Anielewicz, had escaped to southwest Poland on an underground mission to organize other branches of his movement, but upon returning to Warsaw he found the ghetto devastated. He, and others, knowing from the outset that they could not defeat the Nazi war machine, now decided to resist any further deportations from the ghetto. In November 1942, members of the ŻOB elected Anielewicz as their leader, and preparations started for a defense of the ghetto whenever the next wave of deportations should begin. Most of the more senior members of the Jewish communal leadership in the ghetto disapproved of armed resistance out of fear of provoking a devastating German retaliation. However, Anielewicz and another Zionist leader, Yitzhak Zuckerman, began looking for support outside the ghetto. Contacting the Polish government in London, they managed, with difficulty, to obtain a few rifles and pistols. The ŻOB then officially became part of the High Command of the Polish Home Army (Armia Krajowa or AK), which began providing additional weapons and training. In the meantime, the ŻOB prepared for the next onslaught by the Germans. On December 22, 1942, Zuckerman, Miriem (Gole) Mire and Adolf Liebeskind were sent by the ŻOB to Kraków to meet with resistance fighters there. While in the city, they took part in an attack on a café that was frequented by the SS and the Gestapo. Liebskind was killed. There is debate regarding Gole’s fate. Some say she was killed soon afterwards; others assert she played a part in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in the spring of 1943. Zuckerman, although shot in the leg, managed to escape and return to Warsaw. Once back, he then became the unofficial armorer of the ŻOB. He negotiated through contacts he had made with external resistance groups, attempting to procure rifles, pistols, ammunition and grenades. These were smuggled into the ghetto via the Warsaw sewers, and his ongoing negotiations meant that he had a good idea of how he might navigate the labyrinth in the future. In early January 1943 – 75 years ago this month – Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler visited the Warsaw Ghetto and ordered one final deportation of all the remaining Jews. This began, unannounced, on January 18. In response, although lightly armed and poorly trained for combat, the ŻOB saw its first action. Mordecai Anielewicz developed a plan in which his fighters obeyed the deportation orders until they reached a certain part of town, where they received a signal to attack. Despite the death of most of the early Hashomer Hatzair fighters, many Jews escaped at this time. Surprised by the opposition and suffering several casualties, the Germans withdrew from the ghetto to regroup their forces and evaluate the situation. Four days later, they stopped the deportation altogether – at least for the time being. One of the Jewish leaders in this first expression of armed resistance in the ghetto was a young woman, Tova (Tosia) Altman. Directly involved in the fighting, she, along with several others, was captured and taken to the Umschlagplatz (collection point for JEWISH INTEREST deportation). She managed to escape with the aid of a Jewish ghetto policeman acting on behalf of Hashomer Hatzair. Placed in charge of maintaining contact with ŻOB members outside the ghetto, she then spent a large part of her time on the Aryan side, but, always prepared to fight, returned whenever she heard of an impending roundup. Shocked that the Jews would arm themselves and fight another round of deportations, the Germans returned in force in April to liquidate the ghetto completely. The resultant Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, the starting date of which Jews employ to commemorate Yom HaShoah each year, saw the first and most extensive expression of urban guerilla resistance against the Nazis by any population during World War II. It is important to place this in its proper context, however. The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of April 19 - May 16, 1943 did not emerge out of nowhere, and 75 years later it is incumbent upon us all to recognize and honor the brave 2. H young Jewish men and women who E decided to enter upon a course from o which there was no going back, taking A up arms to resist the Nazis in January m 1943. 1 Dr. Paul Bartrop is Professor of History and the Director of the Center for w H Judaic, Holocaust, and Genocide Studies at Florida Gulf Coast l University. He can be reached at pbartrop@fgcu. edu. PLEASE SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS THEY HELP MAKE THE FEDERATION STAR POSSIBLE To advertise, contact Joy Walker at 941.284.0520 or walkerjoy62@yahoo.com. Ag 1. H n w ( t Rab e p m w h 3. A i g t 4. H t Z v t h 5. S Founded in 1897 ZIONIST ORGANIZATION OF AMERICA Southwest Florida Chapter Wednesday, January 10, 2018 at 7:30 PM Dr. Asaf Romirowsky Nakba: The Source of the Arab/Israeli Conflict Dr. Asaf Romirowsky is making a return to our area. To those in the Israeli advocacy community, this man needs no introduction. Dr. Romirowsky is a preeminent Middle East researcher, and an adjunct scholar at the Foundation for Defense for Democracies and the Middle East Forum. He is a former IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) International Relations liaison officer in the West Bank, and to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. He holds a BA from the Hebrew University of Jersulem, Masters degrees from Villanova University and West Chester University, and a Doctorate from King’s College London. His presentation will broach one of the foundational impediments to a Middle East peace agreement. Dr. Romirowsky’s insights on the Middle East are highly sought after, not only in the halls of our Congress, but by governments throughout the world. Chabad Jewish Center of Naples, 1789 Mandarin Road, Naples, FL 34103 Admission: $20.00 prepaid by mail $22.00 at the door $7.00 Students with valid ID To ensure faster seating, prepayment is suggested www.zoaswfl.org • 914-329-1024 Free refreshments served Make checks payable to: ZOA of Southwest Florida 4003 Upolo Lane Naples, FL 34119
JEWISH INTEREST January 2018 Federation Star 21A Aging Jewishly – What our traditions teach us about growing old Hava Nagila – Ten fabulous facts for bubbes and zaydes to share By Rabbi Barbara Aiello 1. Hava Nagila, a melody that originated more than 200 years ago, was born as a song without words (in Hebrew, “niggun”). During the era of forced conscription into the Czarist Russian army, young Jewish boys were taken from their families to serve 25 years as soldiers for the Czar. It was during this time of great sadness that Rabbi Yisroel Friedman encouraged Jews to find joy and purpose in life. Hava Nagila’s melody and the humming of this wordless tune became a song of hope for many shtetl Jews. Rabbi Barbara Aiello 2. Hava Nagila made its way from Europe to Jerusalem. At the turn of the last century, Chassidim from Austria brought Rabbi Friedman’s melody to Jerusalem. In about 1915, these Chassidic Jews met with a musical pioneer who gifted Hava Nagila with its memorable lyrics. 3. A native Latvian, passionate Zionist and world-renowned musicologist, Abraham Zvi Idelson, wrote the words to Hava Nagila. 4. Hava Nagila’s lyrics are based on the words from Psalm 11 verse 24: Ze ha’yom asah Adonai, nagila v’nismecha bo, “This is the day the Lord has made, rejoice and be happy in it.” (Psalms 11:24) 5. Some are unsure of the lyrics. Refresh your memory with the words to Hava Nagila: Hava nagila, Hava nagila = Let’s rejoice, Let’s rejoice Hava nagila v’nismecha = Let us rejoice and be glad Hava neranana, Hava neranana = Let’s sing, let’s sing Hava neranena v’nismecha = Let’s sing and be glad Uru, uru achim = Awake, awake brothers Uru achim b’lev sameach = Awake brothers with a joyful heart 6. At the formal conclusion of World War I, Idelson organized a celebratory concert in Jerusalem. The chorus sang Hava Nagila and it became an instant hit, first in Jerusalem and then throughout the Jewish world. 7. Hava Nagila made its way from the kibbutz to Jewish Zionist camps, many in America. Jewish children took the song home and sang it at their Bar and Bat Mitzvah celebrations and later on at their weddings, with the guests of honor carried high on chairs. 8. In the 1950s, Hava Nagila became part of the mainstream music scene thanks to Harry Belafonte, who closed his concerts with the uplifting melody. “I was always moved by this song,” Belafonte said. Could be because, according to the Dictionary of Sephardic (Jewish) surnames, Belafonte is a Spanish Jewish name! 9. More and more international stars added Hava Nagila to their repertoire, from Connie Francis to Glenn Campbell to Europe’s Barbra Streisand, Dalida (who said, “This melody is in my blood.”), to Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman, who performed her winning gymnastic routine to Hava Nagila’s internationally recognized beat. 10. PBS produced a film, Hava Nagila (The Movie), and YouTube boasts more than one half million videos featuring Hava Nagila, a song that, in the words of Dr. Yvette Alt Miller, “conveys a deeply felt Jewish truth: that we all long to transcend the challenges in our lives… that all of us want to be happy. And that singing and listening to the happiness in Hava Nagila can bring us all a measure of joy.” Thanks to journalists Dr. Yvette Alt Miller (Aish.com) and Dr. James Loeffler (My Jewish Learning) for their research on this topic. For ten years Rabbi Barbara Aiello served the Aviva Campus for Senior Life in Sarasota as resident rabbi. Currently as Aviva’s Rabbi Emerita, she shares her experiences on Aging Jewishly. Contact her at Rabbi@Rabbi Barbara.com. Sell or Buy with Confidence FOR ALL YOUR REAL ESTATE NEEDS CALL THE Barsky Team CATHERINE & STEVE BARSKY, REALTORS (239) 777-3834 Moving out of state? Use our world-wide relocation services. Proud members of the Jewish Federation of Collier County HONESTY, INTEGRITY, COMMUNICATION www.naplesrealtorgroup.com • 239-777-2823 Sbarsky@johnrwood.com • Cbarsky@johnrwood.com CELEBRATING 35 YEARS OF CARING FOR OUR COMMUNITY • Hospice • Non-Hospice Palliative Care • Bereavement & Grief Support • Children’s Services • Volunteer Opportunities CELEBRATING (239) 261-4404 1095 Whippoorwill Lane Naples, FL 34105 avowcares.org Licensed to care for Collier County since 1983 | FL Hospice License 5022096 Quality certified by The Joint Commission – the industry Gold Seal of Approval Accredited by the National Institute for Jewish Hospice CELEBRATING
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Federation Star - January 2018

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