Abba Kovner by Braden Foley

Early Life

bradenfoley1 — 2023-12-14 19:46:59 UTC

Abba Kovner was born on March 14th, 1918 in the Crimean city of Sebastopol Soviet Union. He was Polish and Jewish. He spent his high school years in Vilna, Lithuania which was the Jerusalem of Europe.

Vilna Ghettos

bradenfoley1 — 2023-12-16 23:59:30 UTC

In 1941, Germans invaded the Soviet Union and set up ghettos in Vilna. There were many resistance groups within Vilna.

Famous Speech

bradenfoley1 — 2023-12-17 00:10:16 UTC

On December 31st, 1941 Abba gave the following speech to the divided groups within the Vilna ghetto. "Jewish youth! Do not trust those who are trying to deceive you. Hitler plans to destroy all the Jews of Europe...We will not be led like sheep to the slaughter! True, we are weak and defenseless, but the only reply to the murderer is revolt! Brothers! Better to fall as free fighters than to live by the mercy of the murderers Arise! Arise with your last breath!"

Zionist Youth Movement

bradenfoley1 — 2023-12-17 00:31:55 UTC

Abba joined the Ha-Shomer Ha-Za'ir youth movement. When they learned about the Nazi's killing Jews, they self-organized as partisans. They would sneak out of the ghetto on sabotage missions. They made bombs, trained fighters, and collected weapons. They smuggled weapons into the ghetto in false-bottomed coffins or through the sewers.

Vilna liberated

bradenfoley1 — 2023-12-17 00:40:37 UTC

Abba and the partisans returned to Vilna with the Red Army on July 7th, 1944, recapturing the city from the Germans on July 13th, 1944.

United Partisan Organization

bradenfoley1 — 2023-12-17 00:42:28 UTC

Abba and his friends organized the United Partisan Organization. Within this group, they formed another guerrilla group called Nokmim which means "Avengers". They carried out small attacks on the Nazis.

The Rudnicki Forest

bradenfoley1 — 2023-12-17 00:43:32 UTC

Prior to the final destruction of the ghetto, Abba organized and oversaw the escape of over 300 partisans into the Rudnicki Forest. Those who remained fought the Germans before escaping and doing damage. Abba and the rest of the "Avengers" destroyed over 180 miles of train tracks, 5 bridges, 40 enemy train cars, killed 212 enemy soldiers and rescued at least 71 Jews.

Trial of Nazi War Criminal

bradenfoley1 — 2023-12-17 01:15:21 UTC

In 1961, Abba testified at the trial of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann. Adolf Eichmann was known to be the architect of the Holocaust.

Israel Defense Forces

bradenfoley1 — 2023-12-17 01:16:10 UTC

In 1947, Abba joined the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). He became a Captain in the Givati Brigade. In 1948, he fought in the Arab-Israel war and was known for his "battle pages" which were essays to keep up the troop's morale.

bradenfoley1 — 2023-12-17 17:31:35 UTC

Nakam

bradenfoley1 — 2023-12-17 17:48:42 UTC

In 1945, Abba and 50 other Holocaust survivors formed a paramilitary group called "Nakam" (Hebrew for vengeance). They wanted revenge for killing six million Jews. Their plan was to kill six million Germans, "a nation for a nation". Both of the plans, a mass poisoning of the water supply in Nuremberg and a mass poisoning of SS prisoners failed. In 2009, a song about the event was released.