Holocaust Memorial Day Defiance The Bielski Brothers

The Holocaust A period in History 6 million Jews and others Killed by Hitler’s Nazis

The Holocaust Jews were rounded up They were put into terrible places called Concentration Camps They were treated like animals Many were killed

The Holocaust Jews were taken to terrible places like this camp called Auschwitz

Jews were made to wear a yellow star to identify them for horrible treatment

Zus, Asael and Tuvia Bielski

The subject of a new film called ‘Defiance’

Their story is not well known In the Holocaust, this was the largest rescue of Jewish people… …by Jewish people

The brothers lived in a country called Belarus In 1939 it was held by Russia In 1941 it was invaded by Germany The Bielski family were Jewish

The Bielski brothers and their friends hid in the Naliboki Forest in Belarus They managed to get arms and food supplies from nearby farms and villages They formed a fighting force to resist the Germans

Tuvia and Zus Bielski became the leaders of the rebels

Their lives were very hard in the freezing forests but the men and women fought together against their enemies who tried hard to kill them

They called their group the ‘Otriad’ When the War was won, it had grown to 1 200 men, women and children They even built a school and a hospital in their secret forest hideout

One of Tuvia Bielski’s followers said: “Tuvia would rather save one old Jewish woman than kill ten Nazis” He saved many people’s lives by protecting them in the forest

Asael Bielski was killed fighting against the Nazis

Tuvia and Zus Bielski moved to the USA after the War Tuvia and Zus Bielski moved to the USA after the War. They lived there with their wives and ran a successful transport company together.

The Holocaust First they came for the Communists And I did not speak out because I was not a Communist Then they came for the Trades Unions And I did not speak out because I was not a Trades Unionist Then they came for the Jews And I did not speak out because I was not a Jew

The Holocaust Then they came for me And there was no one left to speak out for me Pastor Martin Neimoeller Spent seven years in Nazi concentration camps

The Holocaust “All that is necessary for evil to flourish is that good people do nothing.” Edmund Burke

I’ll Stand By You Oh, why you look so sad The tears are in your eyes Come on and come to me now

But don’t be ashamed to cry Let me see you through Cos I’ve seen a dark side too

When the night falls on you, You don’t know what to do, Nothing you confess, Could make me love you less.

I’ll stand by you. Won’t let nobody hurt you.

So if you’re mad, get mad. Don’t hold it all inside, Come on and talk to me now.

And hey what you got to hide? I get angry too, Well I’m a lot like you.

When you’re standing at the crossroads, Don’t know which path to choose, Let me come along, Cos even if you’re wrong

I’ll stand by you. Won’t let nobody hurt you.

Baby even to your darkest hour And I’ll never desert you. I’ll stand by you.

And when the night falls on you baby, You’re feeling all alone, You won’t be on your own.

I’ll stand by you. Won’t let nobody hurt you.

Take me even to your darkest hour And I’ll never desert you. I’ll stand by you. Won’t let nobody hurt you.

Quiz Question In the film ‘Defiance’, who played Asael (left) and Tuvia (right)