DOCUMENTS IN THE EXHIBIT
The Map of the German Invasion from Berlin to Smolensk, Via Minsk on the way to Russia
The rectangle indicates the forest area of the first camp.
THE VILNA PARTISAN MANIFESTO
Offer armed resistance! Jews, defend yourselves with arms!
The German and Lithuanian executioners are at the gates of the ghetto. They have come to murder us! They will lead you forth in groups through the ghetto door.
In the same way they carried away hundreds of us on the day of Yom Kippur. In the same way those with white. yellow and pink Schein (safe-conduct passes) were deported during the night. In this way our brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers and sons were taken away.
Tens of thousands were dispatched. But we shall not go! We will not offer our heads to the butcher like sheep.;
Jews defend yourselves with arms!
Do not believe thefalse promises of the assassins or believe the words of the traitors.
Anyone who passes thorough the ghetto gate will go to Ponar!
And Ponar means death!
Jews, we have nothing to lose. Death will overtake us in any event And who can still believe in survival when the murderer exterminates us with so much determination? The hand of the executioner will reach each man and woman. Flight und acts of cowardice will not save our lives.
Active resistance alone can save our lives and our honor.
Brothers! It is better to die in battle in the ghetto than to be carried away to Ponar like sheep. And know this: Within the walls of the ghetto there are organized Jewish forces who will resist with weapons.
Support the revolt!
Do not take refuge or hide in the bunkers, for then you will fall into the hands of the murderers like rats.
Jewish people, go out into the squares. Anyone who has no weapons should take an ax, and he who has no ax should take a crowbar or a bludgeon!
For our ancestors!
For our murdered children!
Avenge Ponar!
Attack the murderers!
1n every street, in every courtyard, in every house within and without this ghetto, attack these dogs!
Jews, we have nothing to lose! We shall save our lives only if we exterminate our assassins.
Long live liberty! Long live armed resistance! Death to the assassins!
Late Summer of 1942
The Map of the camp of the Bielski Ortraid in the Nalibocka Forest
During the Last Phase of its Existence
(Fall 1943-Summer 1944)
A PARTISAN SONG: NEVER SAY NEVER
Never say you are walking your last road;
Leaden skies conceal blue days!
The hour we have longed for with all our longing will yet come-
Our step will beat out like a drum: we are here!
From the green land of palms to the
land of white snow,
We arrive with our pain, with our hurt
And wherever a spurt of our blood has fallen
Our might and our courage will sprout.
The morning sun will gild our today
And yesterday will vanish with the enemy,
But if the sun and the dawn are late in coming.
May this song go from generation to generation like a
password.
This song is written with the blood and not
with pencil-lead,
It's no song of a free-flying bird,
A people among collapsing walls
Sang this song with pistols in their hands.
Never say you are walking your last road;
Leaden skies conceal blue days!
The hour we have longed for with all
our longing will yet come-
Our step will beat out like a drum: we are here!