Rachel Zilberberg

Rachel Zilberberg

Group photo of the Uprising Front leaders
[Far right back row] Mordechai Anilewicz;, [Front row far right] Sarenka - Rachel Zylberberg (seated), mother of Maya - Rachele Kopyta. The photo was taken In Warsaw, 1937
Born (1920-01-05)5 January 1920
Warsaw, Poland
Died 8 May 1943(1943-05-08) (aged 23)
Warsaw, Nazi-occupied Poland
Nationality Polish
Religion Jewish
Was Rachel Zylberberg (Sarenka), the one who roused the Warsaw ghetto uprising?
Rachel Zylberberg daughter (Maya - also known as Rachele Kopyta) birth certificate

Rachel (Sarenka) Zylberberg (5 January 1920 – 8 May 1943 [3 Iyar 5703] ) was an activist and participant in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, and held a key role in rousing the rebellion. She was a member of Hashomer Hatzair,[1] the Zionist-socialist youth movement. With the outbreak of the Second World War, she left for Vilna, then returned to Warsaw together with Chaikeh Grossman and was actively involved in the underground as a member of the Hashomer Hatzair combat unit. Sarenka was one of the few leaders who actually reentered the besieged ghetto, rather than flee it. She was among the first to set out on an impassioned journey to spread knowledge of the Nazi plan to eradicate the Jews. Sarenka confronted her peers repeatedly with this information, until she convinced Mira Fuchrer, Mordechai Anielewicz’ partner, and eventually Anielewicz himself, as well as other leaders of the movement, of the severity of their situation.

In order to reenter the besieged ghetto and rejoin the Hashomer Hatzair Combat Unit, she gave up her daughter Maya, whose later history is unknown. She died in the bunker known as Miła 18 (beneath 18 Mila Street), where her name is engraved on a memorial headstone together with those of almost 50 courageous fighters. Rachel was more familiarly known as Sarenka, which in Polish means “fawn”, and in Hebrew translates to Ofra.

Childhood and Education

Rachel Zylberberg was born in Warsaw, Poland on 5 January 1920 to Orthodox Jewish parents,[2] Alexander (Sender) and Masha née Nordwind. Her parents owned a dairy goods store at 37 Nowolipki Street, and later at 40a Nowolipki. Zylberberg studied at the Jewish Gymnasia and joined Hashomer Hatzair, where she became a member of the “Frontline Brigade” alongside Mordechai Anielewicz, later known as the Commander of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. She excelled at her studies, excelled also at sports, and was known for her strong organizational capabilities. As of 1938, she became a group leader for the younger levels, who greatly admired her.[3] She received her matriculation certificate as the Second World War broke out.

In Lithuania

Sarenka was forced to move, together with her sister Ruth, to Lithuania which at the time was under Russian control. She initially arrived in Kaidani, joining “Ha-Manof Kibbutz”, and thereafter joining the Hashomer Hatzair Kibbutz in Vilna). With her high level education, she immediately adopted an important role in kibbutz life. She remained there with her partner, Moshe Kopito who himself was a close friend of Mordechai Anielewicz; the two men had joined the movement together much earlier. On 22 February 1941, in Vilna, Moshe and Sarenka’s daughter Maya was born.
Sarenka later described the evacuation of the Jews to Punar in these words: “It was a night of horrors. We – the members of Hashomer Hatzair – hid in one apartment. We listened to the voices coming from the street. The Germans’ vehicles stopped and then we heard voices, shouts, shots, heartrending crying. This is how they evacuated one street after another. To where? To the forests near the city, Ponar, no doubt the valley of slaughter." Sarenka moved into hiding in the “Little Sisters” convent in a forest some 6 km. outside Vilna. She stayed in the forest together with Abba Kovner and Joseph Shamir. In all, some fifteen to 20 comrades hid in the forest together. There the idea of the uprising took shape, and became based around Kovner’s declaration: "Let us not go like lambs to the slaughter!"[4] The connection between the Hashomer Hatzair comrades and the convent were arranged by Yodviga Dudezits with the assistance of Irena Adamowicz, who was acknowledged as Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem. Both women belonged to the Polish Scouts Democratic Movement, and both had been hidden by Hashomer Hatzair activists when the city was destroyed by the Russians.

After Moshe Kopito, out buying milk and supplies for his and Sarenka’s infant, was murdered by the Nazis, Sarenka placed Maya with a female communist doctor in an orphanage in Vilna, under the name Yodviga Sogak. Maya is still being sought to this day.[5] At this point, the Hashomer Hatzair leadership decided to return Sarenka to Warsaw for further action. Chaikeh Grossman was sent by the movement to bring Sarenka back. Sarenka dressed up as Chaikeh’s child, even though Chaikeh was the elder of the two young women. Chaikeh later wrote: "This time I didn’t come to Warsaw alone. I came with Sarenka. I needed to get Sarenka from Vilna to Warsaw, after the catastrophe with Moshe Kopito, her friend. We decided to transfer her to a family in Warsaw and have her join the action there."[6] The purpose of Sarenka’s return was to continue leading the youth remaining inside the ghetto, and to assist her family with their grocery store inside the Warsaw Ghetto.

Dies in the Warsaw Ghetto

General view of Miła 18 memorial in Warsaw, place of death of Sarenka
Names of the Jewish fighters on the obelisk at Miła 18 memorial in Warsaw

Sarenka reentered the Warsaw Ghetto in January 1942, with two objectives. The first was to bear the message, as an eye witness, of the methodical extermination of Jews in Punar, near Vilna; her fellow Jews had not heard these details until then. The second was to arouse and motivate rebellion against the Nazis from inside the ghetto. On her return to the ghetto, a group of youth united around her, some of whom she had instructed as a counselor. She detailed the Nazi massacre.

"One day we were called to our brigade meeting with the new young woman delegate from the Vilna Ghetto. I think her name was Sarenka (or perhaps Rachel)? We all sat on the floor and before us stood a young woman, about 22 years old, whose hair already showed white streaks. In the twilight she looked so pretty and noble, but her eyes seemed extinguished".[7] She described her experience of the removal of Jews by the Nazis for massacre.

She died in the bunker under Miła 18, where her name is engraved.

References

  1. ↑ The Book of Jewish Partisans
  2. ↑ "Destruction and Rebellion of the Warsaw Jews", Melech Neustadt, 1946 (1) page 294-295
  3. ↑ "Destruction and Rebellion of the Warsaw Jews", Melech Neustadt, 1946, (1) page 294-295
  4. ↑ Porat pp 56-73
  5. ↑ http://www.exit2hope.org/maya Website dedicated to finding Zylberberg's daughter
  6. ↑ “The Underground”, Chaika Grossman
  7. ↑ Aliza Wittis Shomron, “Youth Under Fire”, pgs. 74-75

Sources

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