OPENING REMARKS BY MANNY SAKS
Manny Saks in his opening remarks emphasized that the theme of this program is how Jews defended themselves against the Nazi extermination program. Between 20,000 and 30,0001 Jews escaped the ghettoes and work camps of Nazi-occupied Europe, fleeing to the forests for shelter where they formed groups and fought back against the Nazis and their collaborators. Jewish partisans had three primary objectives: Firstly to survive inorder to bear witness against Nazi atrocities against the Jewish people after the war: It required steering clear of marauding Germans and treacherous countrymen while foraging for food and seeking shelter from harsh winter weather. Secondly, to take an active role in defeating the enemy: Although Jewish partisans were a small percentage of the overall partisan population, they inflicted a disproportionate amount of damage upon the Nazis. Lastly, to rescue other Jews: Together with the military actions they undertook, these acts of rescue gave meaning to lives whose souls were in as much danger as their bodies. They considered it a moral imperative to save Jewish lives, and Jewish partisans took enormous risks to perform daring acts of rescue.