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  1. Home
  2. The Jewish Community of Vilna
  3. During the Holocaust
  4. Final Days of the Vilna Ghetto
  5. Underground Movements in the Vilna Ghetto

Underground Movements in the Vilna Ghetto

Members of the movements and the political parties considered joint resistance efforts. On 21 January 1942 attended by Major Isidore Frucht of Beitar, Yitzhak Wittenberg and Chenya Borowska, representatives of the communists, Abba Kovner of Hashomer Hatzair and Nissan Reznik of Hanoar Hatzioni met in Josef Glazman's (the head of Beitar in Poland) apartment and established the FPO (Fareynegte Partizaner Organizatsye - United Partisan Organisation). They determined that the aim of the FPO would be to prepare an armed mass-uprising in the event of any attempt to liquidate the ghetto. A Staff Command under the leadership of Wittenberg was established and its members included Glazman and Kovner. A short while later the young Bundists joined the organisation and Nissan Reznik, representative of Hanoar Hatzioni, and Abraham Chwojnik, representative of the Bund joined the Staff Command. At its peak the FPO numbered approximately 300 members organised into two units under the command of Glazman and Kovner.

Three couriers from the “Dror” movement in Poland, who met in Bialystok and were photographed there in early 1942.
Three couriers from the “Dror” movement in Poland, who met in Bialystok and were photographed there in early 1942.

While on a mission to the Warsaw ghetto, Lonka Kozibrodska (right) was seized by the Germans with this photograph in her possession. Her arrest was followed by that of Bella Chazan (center), who was carrying pistols and an underground newspaper. The two were deported to Auschwitz as Poles. Lonka was murdered in the camp in March 1943; Bella survived. The courier Tema Schneiderman (left), who made the trip between Bialystok and Warsaw dozens of times, was caught during the Aktion of 18 January 1943 in the Warsaw ghetto, and murdered in Treblinka.

Yad Vashem Photo Archives 3883/3701

Three couriers from the “Dror” movement in Poland, who met in Bialystok and were photographed there in early 1942.
FPO member Liza Magun, who was murdered in February 1943 at Ponary
FPO member Liza Magun, who was murdered in February 1943 at Ponary

Courtesy of The Ghetto Fighters' House / Israel

FPO member Liza Magun, who was murdered in February 1943 at Ponary
Yechiel Scheinboim, commander of "Yechiel's Struggle Group", one of the underground groups in the ghetto
Yechiel Scheinboim, commander of "Yechiel's Struggle Group", one of the underground groups in the ghetto

He was killed in battle on 1 September 1943, while fighting the Germans in the Vilna ghetto.

Yad Vashem Photo Archives 2921/130

Yechiel Scheinboim, commander of "Yechiel's Struggle Group", one of the underground groups in the ghetto
Berl Szeresnyevski, the Communist Party coordinator in the Vilna ghetto and a member of the FPO
Berl Szeresnyevski, the Communist Party coordinator in the Vilna ghetto and a member of the FPO

Yad Vashem Photo Archives 4216/1

Berl Szeresnyevski, the Communist Party coordinator in the Vilna ghetto and a member of the FPO
Yitzhak Wittenberg, the first commander of the FPO (Fareynegte Partizaner Organizatsye - United Partisan Organisation) in Vilna
Yitzhak Wittenberg, the first commander of the FPO (Fareynegte Partizaner Organizatsye - United Partisan Organisation) in Vilna

Yad Vashem Photo Archives 4216/31

Yitzhak Wittenberg, the first commander of the FPO (Fareynegte Partizaner Organizatsye - United Partisan Organisation) in Vilna
Yitzhak Glazman, Commander of Beitar and member of the FPO Staff Command in the Vilna ghetto
Yitzhak Glazman, Commander of Beitar and member of the FPO Staff Command in the Vilna ghetto

Yad Vashem Photo Archives 122BO8

Yitzhak Glazman, Commander of Beitar and member of the FPO Staff Command in the Vilna ghetto
Mordechai Tenenbaum, one of the heads of the Dror movement and Commander of the Bialystock Ghetto Uprising. He was killed during the uprising.
Mordechai Tenenbaum, one of the heads of the Dror movement and Commander of the Bialystock Ghetto Uprising. He was killed during the uprising.

Yad Vashem Photo Archives 3380/100

Mordechai Tenenbaum, one of the heads of the Dror movement and Commander of the Bialystock Ghetto Uprising. He was killed during the uprising.
Members of the FPO Staff Command (clockwise, bottom from right): Josef Glazman (Beitar), Abraham Chwojnik (Bund), Nissan Reznik (Hanoar Hatzioni), Yitzhak Wittenberg (Communist) and Abba Kovner (Hashomer Hatzair)
Members of the FPO Staff Command (clockwise, bottom from right): Josef Glazman (Beitar), Abraham Chwojnik (Bund), Nissan Reznik (Hanoar Hatzioni), Yitzhak Wittenberg (Communist) and Abba Kovner (Hashomer Hatzair)

The photograph in the middle shows the building in the Vilna ghetto that housed the FPO headquarters

Yad Vashem Photo Archives 2074/90

Members of the FPO Staff Command (clockwise, bottom from right): Josef Glazman (Beitar), Abraham Chwojnik (Bund), Nissan Reznik (Hanoar Hatzioni), Yitzhak Wittenberg (Communist) and Abba Kovner (Hashomer Hatzair)
FPO member Sonya Madeysker's forged passport. Before the war Sonya Madeysker was an active Communist in Vilna and consequently spent eight years in prison during the period of Polish rule.
FPO member Sonya Madeysker's forged passport. Before the war Sonya Madeysker was an active Communist in Vilna and consequently spent eight years in prison during the period of Polish rule.

In May 1944 she was captured by the Gestapo in Vilna, shot herslf and died a few days later.

Yad Vashem Photo Archives, 3380/714

FPO member Sonya Madeysker's forged passport. Before the war Sonya Madeysker was an active Communist in Vilna and consequently spent eight years in prison during the period of Polish rule.
Fighter Yitzhak Matzkevitsch's forged Polish passport
Fighter Yitzhak Matzkevitsch's forged Polish passport

Yitzhak was killed in the ranks of the partisans.

Yad Vashem Photo Archives, 3380/547

Fighter Yitzhak Matzkevitsch's forged Polish passport
Diagram of the bomb used by partisans Vitka Kempner (later Kovner), Yitzhak Matzkevitsch and Moshe Brause during their first act of sabotage against a German train.
Diagram of the bomb used by partisans Vitka Kempner (later Kovner), Yitzhak Matzkevitsch and Moshe Brause during their first act of sabotage against a German train.

Yitzhak and Moshe were killed in the ranks of the partisans. Vitka survived.

Yad Vashem Photo Archives, 3380/139

Diagram of the bomb used by partisans Vitka Kempner (later Kovner), Yitzhak Matzkevitsch and Moshe Brause during their first act of sabotage against a German train.
Weapons cache in the sewers of the Vilna ghetto
Weapons cache in the sewers of the Vilna ghetto

Yad Vashem Photo Archives 3271/5

Weapons cache in the sewers of the Vilna ghetto
Yad Vashem Holocaust History Museum

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