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Vitka Kempner telling us how the only punishment is death.

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Vitka Kempner - The only punishment is death in the partisans

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A photograph of Vitka Kempner when she was young.

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A photo of Vitka Kempner on a podcast while she was talking about the hardships of living during the time of the Nazis.

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A photo of Vitka Kempner at her wedding surrounded by her family.

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A photo of Vitka Kempner in the war while shes young.

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A photo of Vitka standing next to her war mates.

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A photo of Vitka Kempner excepting a flag.

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https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/vitka-kempner

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“Vitka helped the FPO to evacuate much of the population through the sewer system to the surrounding forests.”

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Vitka Kempner was born in Kalish Poland on the polish German border.When Germans invaded poland she escaped to Vilna.Vilna was occupied and Jews were forced into ghettos.

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Vitka Kempner

Video still from interview with Great Projects Film Company

Vitka Kempner was born in Kalish, Poland on the Polish-German border, in 1922. When Germany invaded Poland in 1939, Kalish fell and Vitka escaped to Vilna, Lithuania. In 1941, Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, attacking the Soviet Union and neighboring countries. Vilna was soon occupied, and the Jews were forced into a ghetto. Hearing the rumors about the death camps, Vitka decided to take destiny into her own hands.

Vitka joined the Vilna chapter of Ha-Shomer Ha-Tsa'ir, a Zionist youth group. The group transformed itself into a resistance cell, led by Abba Kovner. The group was instrumental in organizing the larger Vilna resistance movement known as the United Partisans Organization (FPO). Vitka later helped to establish the 'Avengers,' which would go on to become one of the most famous and successful all-Jewish partisan units during the war.

Vitka was responsible for the FPO's first act of sabotage: smuggling a homemade bomb out of the ghetto and blowing up a Nazi train line. The group began to arm themselves, smuggling weapons through the sewer system. Eventually, Vitka became one of Abba's chief lieutenants; they would marry after the war.

After a failed uprising, Vitka helped the FPO to evacuate much of the population through the sewer system to the surrounding forests. Several of the escapees became soldiers in their unit.
The Avengers continued their sabotage operations, destroying both the power plant and the waterworks of Vilna, the city they once loved.

As the Soviets advanced westward, the Avengers emerged from the forest and joined the struggle openly, helping to liberate Vilna. But the liberation of their country and the German defeat were not enough. Vitka and Abba wanted revenge. In 1945, Vitka planned to infiltrate the bakery at a Nuremberg POW camp and poison 3,000 loaves of bread with arsenic. The operation failed, but it is said that she continued to help hunt down Nazis after the war.

Besides avenging the Jews murdered in the Holocaust, Vitka and Abba also reached out to the survivors. They helped smuggle hundreds of European Jews into British-occupied Palestine. Vitka and Abba followed in 1946, settling at Kibbutz Ein Horesh, where they raised two children.

Their story is chronicled in Rich Cohn's book The Avengers, which was made into an audio-book narrated by Larry King.

Vitka Kempner passed away in February 2012 in her home in Israel, two and a half decades after Abba's death. She and Abba Kovner are survived by two children and several grandchildren.

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In the Vilna ghetto, Vitka along with Abba Kovner and several members of her Jewish youth group, helped organize the United Partisans Organization (FPO). As a partisan she smuggled weapons in and out of the ghetto through the sewer system, and helped destroy the local power plant and waterworks.

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When she heard about death camps she took destiny into her own hands. She joined a Zionist youth group.The group was then transformed into a resistance cell.

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Vitka Kempner

Video still from interview with Great Projects Film Company

Vitka Kempner was born in Kalish, Poland on the Polish-German border, in 1922. When Germany invaded Poland in 1939, Kalish fell and Vitka escaped to Vilna, Lithuania. In 1941, Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, attacking the Soviet Union and neighboring countries. Vilna was soon occupied, and the Jews were forced into a ghetto. Hearing the rumors about the death camps, Vitka decided to take destiny into her own hands.

Vitka joined the Vilna chapter of Ha-Shomer Ha-Tsa'ir, a Zionist youth group. The group transformed itself into a resistance cell, led by Abba Kovner. The group was instrumental in organizing the larger Vilna resistance movement known as the United Partisans Organization (FPO). Vitka later helped to establish the 'Avengers,' which would go on to become one of the most famous and successful all-Jewish partisan units during the war.

Vitka was responsible for the FPO's first act of sabotage: smuggling a homemade bomb out of the ghetto and blowing up a Nazi train line. The group began to arm themselves, smuggling weapons through the sewer system. Eventually, Vitka became one of Abba's chief lieutenants; they would marry after the war.

After a failed uprising, Vitka helped the FPO to evacuate much of the population through the sewer system to the surrounding forests. Several of the escapees became soldiers in their unit.
The Avengers continued their sabotage operations, destroying both the power plant and the waterworks of Vilna, the city they once loved.

As the Soviets advanced westward, the Avengers emerged from the forest and joined the struggle openly, helping to liberate Vilna. But the liberation of their country and the German defeat were not enough. Vitka and Abba wanted revenge. In 1945, Vitka planned to infiltrate the bakery at a Nuremberg POW camp and poison 3,000 loaves of bread with arsenic. The operation failed, but it is said that she continued to help hunt down Nazis after the war.

Besides avenging the Jews murdered in the Holocaust, Vitka and Abba also reached out to the survivors. They helped smuggle hundreds of European Jews into British-occupied Palestine. Vitka and Abba followed in 1946, settling at Kibbutz Ein Horesh, where they raised two children.

Their story is chronicled in Rich Cohn's book The Avengers, which was made into an audio-book narrated by Larry King.

Vitka Kempner passed away in February 2012 in her home in Israel, two and a half decades after Abba's death. She and Abba Kovner are survived by two children and several grandchildren.

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In the Vilna ghetto, Vitka along with Abba Kovner and several members of her Jewish youth group, helped organize the United Partisans Organization (FPO). As a partisan she smuggled weapons in and out of the ghetto through the sewer system, and helped destroy the local power plant and waterworks.

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Kempner helped to establish the Avengers resistance group.She was responsible for the FPO first act of sabotage.She smuggled a homemade grenade into the ghetto.

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Vitka Kempner

Video still from interview with Great Projects Film Company

Vitka Kempner was born in Kalish, Poland on the Polish-German border, in 1922. When Germany invaded Poland in 1939, Kalish fell and Vitka escaped to Vilna, Lithuania. In 1941, Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, attacking the Soviet Union and neighboring countries. Vilna was soon occupied, and the Jews were forced into a ghetto. Hearing the rumors about the death camps, Vitka decided to take destiny into her own hands.

Vitka joined the Vilna chapter of Ha-Shomer Ha-Tsa'ir, a Zionist youth group. The group transformed itself into a resistance cell, led by Abba Kovner. The group was instrumental in organizing the larger Vilna resistance movement known as the United Partisans Organization (FPO). Vitka later helped to establish the 'Avengers,' which would go on to become one of the most famous and successful all-Jewish partisan units during the war.

Vitka was responsible for the FPO's first act of sabotage: smuggling a homemade bomb out of the ghetto and blowing up a Nazi train line. The group began to arm themselves, smuggling weapons through the sewer system. Eventually, Vitka became one of Abba's chief lieutenants; they would marry after the war.

After a failed uprising, Vitka helped the FPO to evacuate much of the population through the sewer system to the surrounding forests. Several of the escapees became soldiers in their unit.
The Avengers continued their sabotage operations, destroying both the power plant and the waterworks of Vilna, the city they once loved.

As the Soviets advanced westward, the Avengers emerged from the forest and joined the struggle openly, helping to liberate Vilna. But the liberation of their country and the German defeat were not enough. Vitka and Abba wanted revenge. In 1945, Vitka planned to infiltrate the bakery at a Nuremberg POW camp and poison 3,000 loaves of bread with arsenic. The operation failed, but it is said that she continued to help hunt down Nazis after the war.

Besides avenging the Jews murdered in the Holocaust, Vitka and Abba also reached out to the survivors. They helped smuggle hundreds of European Jews into British-occupied Palestine. Vitka and Abba followed in 1946, settling at Kibbutz Ein Horesh, where they raised two children.

Their story is chronicled in Rich Cohn's book The Avengers, which was made into an audio-book narrated by Larry King.

Vitka Kempner passed away in February 2012 in her home in Israel, two and a half decades after Abba's death. She and Abba Kovner are survived by two children and several grandchildren.

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In the Vilna ghetto, Vitka along with Abba Kovner and several members of her Jewish youth group, helped organize the United Partisans Organization (FPO). As a partisan she smuggled weapons in and out of the ghetto through the sewer system, and helped destroy the local power plant and waterworks.

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They armed themselves.They smuggled weapons through the sewer system.She then became one of Abbas chiefs.

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Vitka Kempner

Video still from interview with Great Projects Film Company

Vitka Kempner was born in Kalish, Poland on the Polish-German border, in 1922. When Germany invaded Poland in 1939, Kalish fell and Vitka escaped to Vilna, Lithuania. In 1941, Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, attacking the Soviet Union and neighboring countries. Vilna was soon occupied, and the Jews were forced into a ghetto. Hearing the rumors about the death camps, Vitka decided to take destiny into her own hands.

Vitka joined the Vilna chapter of Ha-Shomer Ha-Tsa'ir, a Zionist youth group. The group transformed itself into a resistance cell, led by Abba Kovner. The group was instrumental in organizing the larger Vilna resistance movement known as the United Partisans Organization (FPO). Vitka later helped to establish the 'Avengers,' which would go on to become one of the most famous and successful all-Jewish partisan units during the war.

Vitka was responsible for the FPO's first act of sabotage: smuggling a homemade bomb out of the ghetto and blowing up a Nazi train line. The group began to arm themselves, smuggling weapons through the sewer system. Eventually, Vitka became one of Abba's chief lieutenants; they would marry after the war.

After a failed uprising, Vitka helped the FPO to evacuate much of the population through the sewer system to the surrounding forests. Several of the escapees became soldiers in their unit.
The Avengers continued their sabotage operations, destroying both the power plant and the waterworks of Vilna, the city they once loved.

As the Soviets advanced westward, the Avengers emerged from the forest and joined the struggle openly, helping to liberate Vilna. But the liberation of their country and the German defeat were not enough. Vitka and Abba wanted revenge. In 1945, Vitka planned to infiltrate the bakery at a Nuremberg POW camp and poison 3,000 loaves of bread with arsenic. The operation failed, but it is said that she continued to help hunt down Nazis after the war.

Besides avenging the Jews murdered in the Holocaust, Vitka and Abba also reached out to the survivors. They helped smuggle hundreds of European Jews into British-occupied Palestine. Vitka and Abba followed in 1946, settling at Kibbutz Ein Horesh, where they raised two children.

Their story is chronicled in Rich Cohn's book The Avengers, which was made into an audio-book narrated by Larry King.

Vitka Kempner passed away in February 2012 in her home in Israel, two and a half decades after Abba's death. She and Abba Kovner are survived by two children and several grandchildren.

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In the Vilna ghetto, Vitka along with Abba Kovner and several members of her Jewish youth group, helped organize the United Partisans Organization (FPO). As a partisan she smuggled weapons in and out of the ghetto through the sewer system, and helped destroy the local power plant and waterworks.

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She helped evacuate people.She helped sabotage the soilders.She destroyed both power plants at water works of vilna.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Vitka Kempner

Video still from interview with Great Projects Film Company

Vitka Kempner was born in Kalish, Poland on the Polish-German border, in 1922. When Germany invaded Poland in 1939, Kalish fell and Vitka escaped to Vilna, Lithuania. In 1941, Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, attacking the Soviet Union and neighboring countries. Vilna was soon occupied, and the Jews were forced into a ghetto. Hearing the rumors about the death camps, Vitka decided to take destiny into her own hands.

Vitka joined the Vilna chapter of Ha-Shomer Ha-Tsa'ir, a Zionist youth group. The group transformed itself into a resistance cell, led by Abba Kovner. The group was instrumental in organizing the larger Vilna resistance movement known as the United Partisans Organization (FPO). Vitka later helped to establish the 'Avengers,' which would go on to become one of the most famous and successful all-Jewish partisan units during the war.

Vitka was responsible for the FPO's first act of sabotage: smuggling a homemade bomb out of the ghetto and blowing up a Nazi train line. The group began to arm themselves, smuggling weapons through the sewer system. Eventually, Vitka became one of Abba's chief lieutenants; they would marry after the war.

After a failed uprising, Vitka helped the FPO to evacuate much of the population through the sewer system to the surrounding forests. Several of the escapees became soldiers in their unit.
The Avengers continued their sabotage operations, destroying both the power plant and the waterworks of Vilna, the city they once loved.

As the Soviets advanced westward, the Avengers emerged from the forest and joined the struggle openly, helping to liberate Vilna. But the liberation of their country and the German defeat were not enough. Vitka and Abba wanted revenge. In 1945, Vitka planned to infiltrate the bakery at a Nuremberg POW camp and poison 3,000 loaves of bread with arsenic. The operation failed, but it is said that she continued to help hunt down Nazis after the war.

Besides avenging the Jews murdered in the Holocaust, Vitka and Abba also reached out to the survivors. They helped smuggle hundreds of European Jews into British-occupied Palestine. Vitka and Abba followed in 1946, settling at Kibbutz Ein Horesh, where they raised two children.

Their story is chronicled in Rich Cohn's book The Avengers, which was made into an audio-book narrated by Larry King.

Vitka Kempner passed away in February 2012 in her home in Israel, two and a half decades after Abba's death. She and Abba Kovner are survived by two children and several grandchildren.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In the Vilna ghetto, Vitka along with Abba Kovner and several members of her Jewish youth group, helped organize the United Partisans Organization (FPO). As a partisan she smuggled weapons in and out of the ghetto through the sewer system, and helped destroy the local power plant and waterworks.

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Avengers emerged from the forest.German defeat was not enough.They wanted revenge.

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Vitka Kempner

Video still from interview with Great Projects Film Company

Vitka Kempner was born in Kalish, Poland on the Polish-German border, in 1922. When Germany invaded Poland in 1939, Kalish fell and Vitka escaped to Vilna, Lithuania. In 1941, Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, attacking the Soviet Union and neighboring countries. Vilna was soon occupied, and the Jews were forced into a ghetto. Hearing the rumors about the death camps, Vitka decided to take destiny into her own hands.

Vitka joined the Vilna chapter of Ha-Shomer Ha-Tsa'ir, a Zionist youth group. The group transformed itself into a resistance cell, led by Abba Kovner. The group was instrumental in organizing the larger Vilna resistance movement known as the United Partisans Organization (FPO). Vitka later helped to establish the 'Avengers,' which would go on to become one of the most famous and successful all-Jewish partisan units during the war.

Vitka was responsible for the FPO's first act of sabotage: smuggling a homemade bomb out of the ghetto and blowing up a Nazi train line. The group began to arm themselves, smuggling weapons through the sewer system. Eventually, Vitka became one of Abba's chief lieutenants; they would marry after the war.

After a failed uprising, Vitka helped the FPO to evacuate much of the population through the sewer system to the surrounding forests. Several of the escapees became soldiers in their unit.
The Avengers continued their sabotage operations, destroying both the power plant and the waterworks of Vilna, the city they once loved.

As the Soviets advanced westward, the Avengers emerged from the forest and joined the struggle openly, helping to liberate Vilna. But the liberation of their country and the German defeat were not enough. Vitka and Abba wanted revenge. In 1945, Vitka planned to infiltrate the bakery at a Nuremberg POW camp and poison 3,000 loaves of bread with arsenic. The operation failed, but it is said that she continued to help hunt down Nazis after the war.

Besides avenging the Jews murdered in the Holocaust, Vitka and Abba also reached out to the survivors. They helped smuggle hundreds of European Jews into British-occupied Palestine. Vitka and Abba followed in 1946, settling at Kibbutz Ein Horesh, where they raised two children.

Their story is chronicled in Rich Cohn's book The Avengers, which was made into an audio-book narrated by Larry King.

Vitka Kempner passed away in February 2012 in her home in Israel, two and a half decades after Abba's death. She and Abba Kovner are survived by two children and several grandchildren.

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In the Vilna ghetto, Vitka along with Abba Kovner and several members of her Jewish youth group, helped organize the United Partisans Organization (FPO). As a partisan she smuggled weapons in and out of the ghetto through the sewer system, and helped destroy the local power plant and waterworks.

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Jews were murdered in the holocaust.Abba reached out to survivors.They helped smuggle hundreds of Europeans.

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Vitka Kempner

Video still from interview with Great Projects Film Company

Vitka Kempner was born in Kalish, Poland on the Polish-German border, in 1922. When Germany invaded Poland in 1939, Kalish fell and Vitka escaped to Vilna, Lithuania. In 1941, Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, attacking the Soviet Union and neighboring countries. Vilna was soon occupied, and the Jews were forced into a ghetto. Hearing the rumors about the death camps, Vitka decided to take destiny into her own hands.

Vitka joined the Vilna chapter of Ha-Shomer Ha-Tsa'ir, a Zionist youth group. The group transformed itself into a resistance cell, led by Abba Kovner. The group was instrumental in organizing the larger Vilna resistance movement known as the United Partisans Organization (FPO). Vitka later helped to establish the 'Avengers,' which would go on to become one of the most famous and successful all-Jewish partisan units during the war.

Vitka was responsible for the FPO's first act of sabotage: smuggling a homemade bomb out of the ghetto and blowing up a Nazi train line. The group began to arm themselves, smuggling weapons through the sewer system. Eventually, Vitka became one of Abba's chief lieutenants; they would marry after the war.

After a failed uprising, Vitka helped the FPO to evacuate much of the population through the sewer system to the surrounding forests. Several of the escapees became soldiers in their unit.
The Avengers continued their sabotage operations, destroying both the power plant and the waterworks of Vilna, the city they once loved.

As the Soviets advanced westward, the Avengers emerged from the forest and joined the struggle openly, helping to liberate Vilna. But the liberation of their country and the German defeat were not enough. Vitka and Abba wanted revenge. In 1945, Vitka planned to infiltrate the bakery at a Nuremberg POW camp and poison 3,000 loaves of bread with arsenic. The operation failed, but it is said that she continued to help hunt down Nazis after the war.

Besides avenging the Jews murdered in the Holocaust, Vitka and Abba also reached out to the survivors. They helped smuggle hundreds of European Jews into British-occupied Palestine. Vitka and Abba followed in 1946, settling at Kibbutz Ein Horesh, where they raised two children.

Their story is chronicled in Rich Cohn's book The Avengers, which was made into an audio-book narrated by Larry King.

Vitka Kempner passed away in February 2012 in her home in Israel, two and a half decades after Abba's death. She and Abba Kovner are survived by two children and several grandchildren.

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In the Vilna ghetto, Vitka along with Abba Kovner and several members of her Jewish youth group, helped organize the United Partisans Organization (FPO). As a partisan she smuggled weapons in and out of the ghetto through the sewer system, and helped destroy the local power plant and waterworks.

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Vitka and Abba followed in 1946.They settled in Kabuttz.Where they raised two children.

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Vitka Kempner

Video still from interview with Great Projects Film Company

Vitka Kempner was born in Kalish, Poland on the Polish-German border, in 1922. When Germany invaded Poland in 1939, Kalish fell and Vitka escaped to Vilna, Lithuania. In 1941, Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, attacking the Soviet Union and neighboring countries. Vilna was soon occupied, and the Jews were forced into a ghetto. Hearing the rumors about the death camps, Vitka decided to take destiny into her own hands.

Vitka joined the Vilna chapter of Ha-Shomer Ha-Tsa'ir, a Zionist youth group. The group transformed itself into a resistance cell, led by Abba Kovner. The group was instrumental in organizing the larger Vilna resistance movement known as the United Partisans Organization (FPO). Vitka later helped to establish the 'Avengers,' which would go on to become one of the most famous and successful all-Jewish partisan units during the war.

Vitka was responsible for the FPO's first act of sabotage: smuggling a homemade bomb out of the ghetto and blowing up a Nazi train line. The group began to arm themselves, smuggling weapons through the sewer system. Eventually, Vitka became one of Abba's chief lieutenants; they would marry after the war.

After a failed uprising, Vitka helped the FPO to evacuate much of the population through the sewer system to the surrounding forests. Several of the escapees became soldiers in their unit.
The Avengers continued their sabotage operations, destroying both the power plant and the waterworks of Vilna, the city they once loved.

As the Soviets advanced westward, the Avengers emerged from the forest and joined the struggle openly, helping to liberate Vilna. But the liberation of their country and the German defeat were not enough. Vitka and Abba wanted revenge. In 1945, Vitka planned to infiltrate the bakery at a Nuremberg POW camp and poison 3,000 loaves of bread with arsenic. The operation failed, but it is said that she continued to help hunt down Nazis after the war.

Besides avenging the Jews murdered in the Holocaust, Vitka and Abba also reached out to the survivors. They helped smuggle hundreds of European Jews into British-occupied Palestine. Vitka and Abba followed in 1946, settling at Kibbutz Ein Horesh, where they raised two children.

Their story is chronicled in Rich Cohn's book The Avengers, which was made into an audio-book narrated by Larry King.

Vitka Kempner passed away in February 2012 in her home in Israel, two and a half decades after Abba's death. She and Abba Kovner are survived by two children and several grandchildren.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In the Vilna ghetto, Vitka along with Abba Kovner and several members of her Jewish youth group, helped organize the United Partisans Organization (FPO). As a partisan she smuggled weapons in and out of the ghetto through the sewer system, and helped destroy the local power plant and waterworks.