Sara Fortis by Tony Suazo Reyes

Sara Fortis

tonysuazoreyes1942_ — 2023-10-26 16:34:12 UTC

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.

tonysuazoreyes1942_ — 2023-10-26 16:34:43 UTC

A step that Changed her life

tonysuazoreyes1942_ — 2023-10-26 16:38:45 UTC

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

tonysuazoreyes1942_ — 2023-10-26 16:46:00 UTC

tonysuazoreyes1942_ — 2023-10-26 16:57:44 UTC

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.

tonysuazoreyes1942_ — 2023-10-26 16:58:14 UTC

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.

tonysuazoreyes1942_ — 2023-10-26 16:58:49 UTC

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.

Accomplishments

tonysuazoreyes1942_ — 2023-10-26 23:52:57 UTC

By the age of 18, Sara was well-known enough to be referred to as "Captain Sarika"She continued to fight against the Germans until the liberation of Greece in late 1944. After the withdraw of the German army, Greece descended into a state of civil war as left and right wing factions inside the country battled for control. Sara's rebel group was in opposition to the right-wing Greek government, resulting in her eventual arrest. However, she was released and resettled in Israel

An Alliance with men

tonysuazoreyes1942_ — 2023-10-26 23:55:57 UTC

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.

Accomplishments(2)

tonysuazoreyes1942_ — 2023-10-26 23:58:01 UTC

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

tonysuazoreyes1942_ — 2023-10-26 23:58:41 UTC

tonysuazoreyes1942_ — 2023-10-27 00:29:22 UTC

tonysuazoreyes1942_ — 2023-10-27 00:29:43 UTC