Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation

Stan Felson (Zalman Feigelson) (z''l) escaped the massacre of most of the 5,500 Jews of his hometown of Glubokie, Poland by fleeing into the forests. He then joined a partisan unit under the command of a Russian partisan named Markov.
Stan later returned to the Glubokie Ghetto to rescue his family, convincing his younger brother Don to join the partisans. In the spring of 1943, they joined the Panomorenko Otriad. There Stan led a combat group of 20 men that sabotaged German transportation and communication lines. They were liberated by the Russian Army in 1944.
Read more about Stan’s incredible life here: https://www.jewishpartisancommunity.org/.../zalman.../

Join the Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation and the Institute for Curriculum Services on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, 4-6 PM PDT online for an interactive workshop that bridges the gap between the ancient origins of antisemitism and the heroic defiance of the Jewish partisans during World War II.

Educators will trace the 2,000-year trajectory of antisemitism through primary sources before diving into powerful lesson plans on wartime resistance and ethical decision-making. Participants will leave with classroom-ready materials (in both English and Spanish) designed to help students navigate the complexities of the Holocaust through the lenses of resiliance, survival, and the vital history of those who fought back.

Registration Link: https://tools.icsresources.org/registration/?ID=5817155000093959018

This workshop supports the Common Core Standards for History and Social Science content for the State of California.

Jewish partisan Sonia Orbuch (z''l) was born Sarah Shainwald in the Polish town of Luboml. Just 16 years old in 1941 when the N***s invaded and imprisoned all Jewish residents in a ghetto, Sonia and her family feared that the rumors of death camps and mass exterminations were true and fled into the woods.
After a year spent hiding in the forest, Sonia joined the Soviet partisans together with her parents and uncle. Pressed into service as a doctor’s aid on the front lines, bullets flew by her head during a mission to blow up train tracks – but Sonia was determined to fight. Capture by the enemy was not an option and Sonia carried two hand grenades with her at all times, “One for the enemy, and one for myself.”
We commemorate Sonia's Birthday on May 24th.
Read more about Sonia's incredible story here: https://www.jewishpartisans.org/partisans/sonia-orbuch
http://jewishpartisans.org/soniaorbuchblog

On Memorial Day, we honor the courage and sacrifice of those who gave their lives in the fight against hatred, tyranny, and oppression.

Among them were Jewish partisans and soldiers who resisted the N***s during World War II. They fought not only for survival, but for freedom, dignity, and humanity itself.

Their stories remind us that resistance can take many forms: defending others, standing against injustice, and refusing to remain silent in the face of hate.

Today, we remember all who made the ultimate sacrifice and recommit ourselves to preserving their legacy through education and remembrance.

Tonight at sundown, the holiday of Shavuot begins.

Groups such as the Bielski partisans created hidden communities in the forests where Jews celebrated holidays, cared for one another, and even established schools for children. In the midst of war and genocide, they understood something powerful: preserving education, tradition, and identity was itself an act of resistance.

The concept of the “mitzvah of education," the belief that learning renews and sustains Jewish life, remained alive even in the partisan camps. While resisting the N***s through sabotage and armed struggle, Jewish partisans also continued teaching, studying, and celebrating holidays like Shavuot, determined that Jewish culture and faith would survive for future generations.

Chag Sameach!

During this time of reflection and study, explore the stories of Jewish resistance and resilience through the Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation’s resources:
www.jewishpartisans.org

Silvio Ortona (z"l) was born on May 24, 1916 in the Piedmont region of Italy. Silvio was already a practicing lawyer when he became a member of the Italian partisan brigade Fratelli Bandiera. This group of partisans eventually started Radio Liberta, an underground radio channel.
After the war, Silvio married another former partisan, Ada della Torre, and the two settled in Turin. Their children would become student organizers in the Italian protests of 1968.
Learn more about Silvio here: https://www.jewishpartisans.org/partisans/silvio-ortona

Jewish partisan Boris Kot (z"l) was born on May 8, 1925, in Kovno (Kaunas), Lithuania. At the of age 18, Boris was the only surviving member of his family after Jews in the Kovno Ghetto were forced to assemble and a selection took place.
In 1943, Boris narrowly escaped from the ghetto to join a Russian partisan group, where he faced anti-Semitism. He went on missions to sabotage German trains, railroads, and bridges, cut communication lines, and also helped gather food for the group.
With the help of Bricha, an underground Jewish organization, Boris eventually went to Germany, where he stayed in a Displaced Persons camp in the American Zone for three years. In 1949, Boris arrived in Massachusetts, where he lived until his passing on January 28, 1997.
Read more about Boris' incredible life here: https://www.jewishpartisancommunity.org/partisans/boris-kot/

As a young teen, Jewish partisan Harry Burger (z''l) escaped from Nazi-occupied Vienna into France and then into Italy. Evading capture a second time when the N***s began rounding up Jews for extermination, he became a partisan in the First Alpine Division, where he used his fluency in German to interrogate captured soldiers.
After the war, Harry was reunited with his mother and returned to France. He stayed in France for five years working as a photographer. In 1950, Harry immigrated to the United States, finding photography work with two prominent television networks.
Harry Burger is featured in JPEF’s new curriculum Foundations of Resistance: A Curriculum to Counter Antisemitism for Grades 6-12. Visit Understanding the Partisans under "webquests" to learn more: resist.jewishpartisans.org

At just 15 years old, Julius (Yehuda) Rytman lost nearly his entire family during the Holocaust after the N***s invaded his village in Belarus. Refusing to surrender, he joined a partisan group in the forests, fighting back against the N***s and surviving a near ex*****on after making a daring escape.

After the war, Julius met Dora Gurewicz, another young survivor who had lost her family in the Holocaust. Together, they rebuilt their lives, immigrated to the United States, and created a legacy of resilience, family, and perseverance.

Read their incredible story here:
https://www.jewishpartisancommunity.org/partisans/julius-yehuda-rytman/

The Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation mourns the loss of Abe Foxman (z''l). A child survivor of the Holocaust, Mr. Foxman fought back against antisemitism, hate, and oppression for more than four decades. May his memory be for a blessing.

Abe Foxman, advocate for American Jews as longtime head of Anti-Defamation League, dies at 86 | CNN Abraham H. Foxman, who was a forceful advocate for American Jews as national director of the Anti-Defamation League for nearly three decades, has died, the ADL said Sunday. He was 86.