The Bielski Brothers

The Bielski Partisans (https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&so ())

During World War 2 when the mass murdering of millions of Jews was occurring, the three Bielski brothers, Tuvia, Asael, and Zus, started a hidden community in the forest where they ended up saving over 1200 Jews by the end of the war. When the Nazis surprise attacked the Soviet Union's Red Army, which led to its collapse, the two brothers, Zus and Asael returned home only to find their whole family slaughtered. Soon joined by their older brother, they fled to the forest, where they started the nucleus of the Bielski Otriad. As children they would run into the forest to hide from the police. Their knowledge of the forest was crucial for their survival. They started out as just a small group of friends and family, but quickly grew, taking in as many Jews they could find. At the beginning, they had to steal food from the local civilians to survive but slowly grew more independent. "It had living quarters; workshops for tailors, shoemakers, seamstresses, and carpenters; a large herd of cows and horses; a school for sixty children; a main street and a central square."(Duffy) The Jews in the forest not only survived but they lived like normal people rather than being the savages they were thought to be at that time, they thrived and built their own civilization. They were constantly hunted down by the Germans, having to flee deeper into the forest. Living in the forest gave them a sense of freedom and pride, both of which had been taken away from them. Being caring, wise, and selfless are key criterion for a hero to possess all of which the Bielski brothers had. Caring for other Jews and helping them overcome the fear and misery of the time, being wise enough to make the right decisions and being selfless to save others instead of only themselves. Even though they attacked and stole from many civilians, the Bielski Brothers were caring, wise, and selfless because they retaliated against the Nazis and saved 1,200 Jews.

The Bielski Brothers cared for the other Jews and helped them overcome the fear and misery forced onto them. They believed saving a life was the most important thing they could do. "Despite some opposition from within the group, Tuvia Bielski never wavered in his determination to accept and protect all Jewish refugees, regardless of age or gender."(USHMM) Instead of only allowing healthy young men and women to join, who would be of much more use to their survival, the Bielski brothers believed in saving every Jew they can and saving as many lives as possible. Women, children, and the elderly were usually the first to be killed by the Germans; therefore thanks to the Bielski brothers many hopeless lives were spared. Although they did retaliate against the Nazis, their main objective was to save Jews. "I would rather save one old Jewish woman than kill 10 Nazi soldiers"(Tuvia Bielski) He knew that fighting back was important, but saving lives was even more. Killing a Nazi won't bring the dead back to life. He was angry at the Germans too, after all most of his family was slaughtered, including his wife and son. He managed to keep his cool in a time of chaos and in doing so, he saved many lives.

Tuvia, Asael, and Zus (https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&so ())

Without the wise leadership of the Bielski Brothers, the group would have probably perished long before the war ended. Most Jews during that time carried hatred for the Nazis and would stop at nothing to get revenge if the chance arose. "Don't rush to fight and die. So few of us are left, we need to save lives. It is more important to save Jews than to kill Germans." (Tuvia Bielski) The Bielski brothers knew the risks of fighting due to their previous military experience, and they used that knowledge to their advantage. Every life was to be spared - that was the goal of the group. The only time they would risk the lives of people in the group is when they went on dangerous missions to get food, or rescue fellow Jews. Most of the group wanted their manpower to be used to fight against the Nazis. "I would rather save one old Jewish woman than kill 10 Nazi soldiers"(Tuvia Bielski) Most people wouldn't think this way, "fighting is the only type of retaliation", but saving people, and giving them hope had an even greater effect. Jews began to be filled with hope, rather than just letting the Nazis take their lives, they began to hide and run making it more difficult for Germany to take control. The Bielski Brothers were wise and exceptional leaders who accomplished an impossible task due to the way they thought.

Book (https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&so ())

The Bielski Brothers were fit, wise and capable enough to be able to be able to survive on their own easily, but they were also selfless and risked their lives daily to help save others. Some Jews fled to the forest and only by chance stumbled onto the group's hideout, but most were rescued from ghettos and other areas. "We cannot simply hide ourselves. We must do something for our people. We cannot sit in the bushes and wait until the wolf comes for us. We must send people to the ghettos to save Jews." (Tuvia Bielski) Tuvia could have just decided to take care of his brothers and maybe if he saw a few Jews he'd help them out, but no, he went out of his way to help Jews escape from the ghettos. His selflessness inspired others in the camp to also help out and play a role, which included running out on food missions or standing watch. While Jews in the outside world had their rights stolen from them, the Bielski Brothers created a community which flourished in freedom. "The Bielski brothers not only helped Jews to survive, they also provided them with a safe and free haven in a Europe that was being destroyed."(Yad Vashem) Fear and chaos surrounded the world around them. At the time Jews were thought to be less than human, merely a disease. Even so, these Jews managed to survive by themselves and build a community in the forest. Anywhere else, Jews would have absolutely nothing, but in the camp they had friends, family, and freedom. All of this was possible thanks to the sacrifices of the Bielski Brothers. The Bielski Brothers fought hard and sacrificed a lot to provide a safe haven where Jews were free.

The Bielski Brothers rescued 1,200 Jews and created a home for them, all because they were caring, wise, and selfless. They cared for their fellow Jews, and were wise enough to lead them. This is an amazing and selfless act that no one else was willing do during the War. The Bielski Brothers is a truly inspirational story because the odds were stacked against them but they persevered. They did something that was beyond possible at the time. They inspired many people in the community to help do their part, some even went on dangerous missions. They are an inspiration to anyone that reads about them, and an inspiration to the Jewish community. The 1,200 Jews that now have many generations in their families, have all been inspired by the three brothers that gave them life, just when they were about to give up. Those 1,200 Jews turned into over 25,000 souls blessed with the gift of life by the Bielski Brothers.