The Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation Supports Efforts to Recognize Heroism and Resistance During Holocaust

May 9, 2005 -- "Most people think of the Holocaust as a time when the Jews went quietly to their deaths. But that's not the case. Many fought back, against overwhelming odds, with extraordinary stories of courage and heroism."

With Jews and non-Jews around the world commemorating Holocaust Remembrance Day on May 6, one organization, the Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation (JPEF), is leading the charge to bring that day back to its original intent - to recognize not only the suffering but also the incredible heroism and resistance of the time.

More than 30,000 Jews - many of whom had escaped from work camps - fought the Nazis from the forests and mountains of Europe, sabotaging Nazi operations. These resistance fighters - known as partisans - were often young and many were female.

Working with local Jewish organizations across the country, the San Francisco-based Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation has launched an initiative to reinstate themes of heroism and bravery into local Holocaust remembrance observances. JPEF develops materials on the Jewish partisans through an interactive website, www.jewishpartisans.org, where people can learn about partisans through interviews, virtual tours, excerpts from "The Defiant" - a book by Shalom Yoran as read by Larry King, read biographies about male and female partisans and even ask partisans questions.

Former partisan Sonia Orbuch illustrates the spirit of resistance saying, "If I was going to get killed I wanted to get killed as a fighter and not as a Jew."

"The original intent of Holocaust Remembrance Day when it was first initiated in Israel in 1951 was to recognize both those who died and those who resisted," said Mitch Braff, JPEF Executive Director. "We are simply trying to bring back that original meaning." Currently the name is Holocaust Remembrance Day; JPEF is getting communities to rename it Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day.

With JPEF's help, cities including San Francisco are "going back" to the day's original intent of recognizing heroism and bravery, in addition to the devastation. Local May 6 commemorations at synagogues will now include educational material about the many forms of heroism.

Rabbi Martin Weiner, rabbi emeritus of Congregation Sherith Israel in San Francisco and past president of the Central Conference of American rabbis supports this idea of reinstating the themes of resistance and heroism. "It is so hard for us living in a land of freedom in 2005 to put ourselves back 60 plus years into the reality of the Nazi madness. We know heroism came in many forms - from the organized, armed actions of the partisans and ghetto fighters to women who sang lullaby's to their babies during Nazi raids and the individuals who smuggled and shared food. And today, Holocaust survivors who consent to share their stories continue to exhibit that spirit of heroism," says Rabbi Weiner.

Dozens of Jewish partisans are still living and are able to speak directly about their experiences and how they relate to today's world. Rabbis and other members of the Jewish community are also available for comment. To speak with a partisan or a rabbi, please contact JPEF at 415-563-2244. www.jewishpartisans.org

The Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation Supports Efforts to Recognize Heroism and Resistance During Holocaust

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The Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation Supports Efforts to Recognize Heroism and Resistance During Holocaust

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