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Sara Fortis born as Sarika Yehoshua was a resistance fighter. She was born in 1927 and she became a fighter when she left her mom, in 1941  because they had to hide her from the Germans .  Sara formed a band of other resistance fighters when she began fighting. Impressed by her ways and skills Sara was offered to join many other missions. In missions they burned down houses, and even had to help makes in fighting. Sara became and prominent and really well respected person. BY age 18 she became the captain Sarika.

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In 1941 the Nazi’s came to her home town so she left to fight with the resistance group.

Born in Athens, Greece.

Sara made her own gorup of female fighters.

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Sara was forced to sleep by men and felt unsafe about it.

Sara’s First mission was to distract the motolv Cocktails at the enemies to distrack the fighters.

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Sara eventually got arrested eventuality her reputation as a hero got released.

Sara was 100% Greek.

She was born in Chalais, Greece.

Sara fortis never really got to her met her dad.

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Sara impacted her group by becoming on of the most respected fighters. She fought a lot and even decided to help men. She was forced to sleep with men and she felt very comfortable.

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Sara went through a lot she ended up having to leaving her mother and she did not like the idea of it but thay is how she became a fighter. Sarah did identify as Greek but still celebrated Jewish traditions.

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Sara was a very confident person. She was the leader of her group and even helped some men. Sara eventually was sent to jail but soon got let out because of her legacy , and the good things she has done in the past.

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Sara originally did not intended on being a fighter but she had to. The Germans came to her country and she knew she had to leave. They hid her mom and so she left and became a resistance fighter.

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This was Sara Fortis in her Partisans uniform.The date was unknown.

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Sara Fortis in partisan uniform. Date unknown.

Video still from interview, August 2004

Sara Fortis (born Sarika Yehoshua) was born in 1927 in Chalkis, a small town near Athens, Greece. She never knew her father, who passed away when she was only two months old. Sara and her sister were raised by their mother and they enjoyed a happy childhood. Although they identified as 100% Greek, they also celebrated being Jewish by lighting candles every Friday and attending temple on holidays.

Sara knew it was time to leave her hometown when the Germans arrived in 1941. She had heard about Jews in other small Greek towns being deported by the Nazis and never returning. Sara and her mother escaped to the small village of Kuturla and hid there for a short while. When it was no longer safe for Jews, Sara was told to escape while the villagers agreed to hide her mother. Leaving her mother, Sara decided to become an andarte ( resistance fighter). Wanting to play a significant role in the group, she traveled from village to village to recruit other females who wanted to fight.

Sara formed a band of female partisans that became indispensable to the male fighters, transforming young village girls into women. On their first mission, they were ordered to throw Molotov cocktails to distract the enemy and allow the partisans to attack. Impressed by their skills, the male partisans invited the all-female group to join in many missions. They burned down houses, executed Nazi collaborators, and aided the men in a way no group of females had before. The male andartes were given credit for many missions the women completed, as it was unfathomable that women could accomplish such acts. Often, the women were forced to sleep next to the men, and Sara constantly worried about the women's safety.

Sara became a prominent and well-respected figure in the andartes movement in Greece. By age 18, she was known as 'Kapetenissa [Captain] Sarika.' The Nazis sent an informer to try and capture her, but mistakenly arrested, brutally raped, and murdered her cousin, Medi. Vowing revenge, she tracked down and executed the informer.

After the war, the andartes fell out of favor with the new Greek government. Sara was arrested but owing to her great reputation, she was released shortly after. She then immigrated to Israel, where she met her husband and settled down.

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Born Sarika Yehoshua in 1927 in Chalkis, Greece, Sara Fortis went from village to village recruiting women who wanted to fight. She organized a band of all-female partisans, training young women to become bold fighters. They burned down houses, executed Nazi collaborators, and aided the Greek partisan movement in a way no group of females had before.

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Read the Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation’s short biography of Sara Fortis.

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Born in Chalkis, a small town near Athens, Greece, Sara Fortis never knew her father, who passed away when she was only two months old. Raised by her mother, Sara and her sister enjoyed a happy childhood. Though they identified as Greek, they carried on Jewish tradition by lighting candles on the sabbath and attending religious services on holidays.

When the Nazis came to her hometown in 1941, Sara knew it was time to leave. She had heard about Jews in other small Greek towns being deported by the Nazis and never returning. After fleeing with her mother, they settled in the small village of Kuturla. When it was no longer safe, Sara was told that she needed to find a new place to hide, although the villagers agreed to continue to protect her mother.

While looking for a new place to stay, Sara was offered the opportunity to join the resistance and become an andarte (guerilla resistance fighter). She agreed, but with conditions. Wanting to play a significant role in the group, Sara insisted that she be allowed to recruit other women who wished to fight and form their own unit.

Sara's band of female partisans soon became indispensable. However, fears about the unit's well-being were not confined to their fighting; in between assignments, the women were often forced to sleep next to the men, and Sara always worried about their safety.

On their first mission, Sara's unit was ordered to throw Molotov cocktails to distract the enemy and allow the partisans to attack. Impressed by their skills, the male partisans invited the all-female group to join them on future assignments. As the war continued, Sara's all-female partisan unit burned down houses, executed Nazi collaborators, and aided the men in a way no group of women partisans had before.

Despite their accomplishments, sexism prevented Sara's unit from getting the respect or credit they deserved. In fact, male andartes, Greek resistance partisan fighters, were given credit for many of the missions that the women carried out because few people believed that women could accomplish such acts.

Despite the unit's lack of recognition, Sara became a prominent and well-respected figure in the andartes movement in Greece. By age 18, she was known as Kapetenissa (Captain) Sarika. The Nazis sent an informer to try to capture her, who mistakenly arrested-then brutally assaulted and murdered-her cousin, Medi. Vowing revenge, Sara tracked down and executed the informer.

After the war, the andartes fell out of favor with the new Greek government because of the political alliances they formed. Sara was arrested. Fortunately, her reputation as a hero of the resistance led to her release. She then emigrated to Israel, where she met her husband.

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Read the story of Sara Fortis, a young woman who fled her hometown in Greece when the Nazis invaded in 1941 and joined the resistance movement.

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This week, JPEF profiles 18-year-old Sara Fortis, who formed an all-female band of partisans and fought against the Nazis in Greece. Known as Kapetenissa [Captain] Sarika, Sara became a...

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Read the Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation’s short biography of Sara Fortis.

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Born in Chalkis, a small town near Athens, Greece, Sara Fortis never knew her father, who passed away when she was only two months old. Raised by her mother, Sara and her sister enjoyed a happy childhood. Though they identified as Greek, they carried on Jewish tradition by lighting candles on the sabbath and attending religious services on holidays.

When the Nazis came to her hometown in 1941, Sara knew it was time to leave. She had heard about Jews in other small Greek towns being deported by the Nazis and never returning. After fleeing with her mother, they settled in the small village of Kuturla. When it was no longer safe, Sara was told that she needed to find a new place to hide, although the villagers agreed to continue to protect her mother.

While looking for a new place to stay, Sara was offered the opportunity to join the resistance and become an andarte (guerilla resistance fighter). She agreed, but with conditions. Wanting to play a significant role in the group, Sara insisted that she be allowed to recruit other women who wished to fight and form their own unit.

Sara's band of female partisans soon became indispensable. However, fears about the unit's well-being were not confined to their fighting; in between assignments, the women were often forced to sleep next to the men, and Sara always worried about their safety.

On their first mission, Sara's unit was ordered to throw Molotov cocktails to distract the enemy and allow the partisans to attack. Impressed by their skills, the male partisans invited the all-female group to join them on future assignments. As the war continued, Sara's all-female partisan unit burned down houses, executed Nazi collaborators, and aided the men in a way no group of women partisans had before.

Despite their accomplishments, sexism prevented Sara's unit from getting the respect or credit they deserved. In fact, male andartes, Greek resistance partisan fighters, were given credit for many of the missions that the women carried out because few people believed that women could accomplish such acts.

Despite the unit's lack of recognition, Sara became a prominent and well-respected figure in the andartes movement in Greece. By age 18, she was known as Kapetenissa (Captain) Sarika. The Nazis sent an informer to try to capture her, who mistakenly arrested-then brutally assaulted and murdered-her cousin, Medi. Vowing revenge, Sara tracked down and executed the informer.

After the war, the andartes fell out of favor with the new Greek government because of the political alliances they formed. Sara was arrested. Fortunately, her reputation as a hero of the resistance led to her release. She then emigrated to Israel, where she met her husband.

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Read the story of Sara Fortis, a young woman who fled her hometown in Greece when the Nazis invaded in 1941 and joined the resistance movement.

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Cynthia Erivo - Stand Up (From Harriet)

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https://www.jewishpartisans.org/partisans/sara-fortis

https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/call-me-captain-sarika

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"I was Captain Sarika. If anyone needed anything, they would say, “Tell Captain Sarika and she'll take care of it.” Tell me and I'd do it. If they forgot my name they said, Here's the [female] comrades' captain....'Comrades' in Greek is [Greek], and they used a word in Greek meaning the girls' Capitan.