Leon Bakst by Ethan Mullen

LIFE STORY

28emullen — 2024-02-29 13:36:15 UTC

Leon Bakst was a 15 year-old wholesale merchant in Ivie in a small polish town. That year In 1941 his town was put into a ghetto because they were a jewish town then months later Leon and his brothers, along with 200 other young men were deported into a labor camp in Lida. He was lucky that he departed from his family and this camp because not much later the Germans had destroyed the ghetto. The camp was located in a railroad yard and he and the rest of the prisoners slept in boxcars. Having heard about partisan groups living in the nearby forests the 200 young men decided to risk their lives and join them.

THE RESISTANCE

28emullen — 2024-02-29 13:38:44 UTC

Leon lived in this camp and he had heard about a partisan group living in the nearby forest, so he decided to escape and join them and fight back against the germans. By stealing guns and ammunition. Sometimes they had to fight too.

THE ESCAPE AND ENDING

28emullen — 2024-02-29 13:39:23 UTC

Leon lived in this camp and he had heard about a partisan group living in the nearby forest so he decided to escape and join them and fight back against the germans. By stealing guns and ammunition. They stole rifles before going into the woods and it made sure the group was fed on the way to the group. Sometimes they had to fight too. Leon said that they sometimes got into gun fights with germans which always resulted in them winning

28emullen — 2024-02-29 13:41:06 UTC

He was 15 years old born in a small town in poland

28emullen — 2024-02-29 13:42:21 UTC

He passed in 2021

28emullen — 2024-03-01 13:25:27 UTC

The prisoners had 1 treacherous advantage. The germans would use the railroad karts to bring the guns in. This would make it easier to stash the guns in the ground

28emullen — 2024-03-01 13:26:31 UTC

When they got to the forest they joined the Bielski Brigade which was a group who was against the nazis. And their camp got attacked over night one night and they escaped through a nearby swamp, Leon said that he remembers the bullets whizzing past him and landing in the water right next to him.

28emullen — 2024-03-01 13:36:35 UTC

28emullen — 2024-03-04 13:21:24 UTC

Leon and the prisoners were transported by train, Also they were getting put in a former railroad yard that is also how the young men got the ammunation from.

28emullen — 2024-03-04 13:23:19 UTC

28emullen — 2024-03-04 13:23:54 UTC

After the war was over it wasn't until 75 years later that the partisan group met again for a reunion

28emullen — 2024-03-04 13:25:56 UTC

this is where leon talks about his past and during the holocaust and what happened when he was in the camps

28emullen — 2024-03-04 13:33:38 UTC