Sara Fortis by Jana Aly

Who was Sara Fortis

227774_7 — 2025-05-21 15:10:40 UTC

Sara Fortis, born sakira yehoshua in 1927 in Chalkis Greece was one of the first female resistance leaders during the Holocaust, she was just a teenager when she joined the Greek resistance against the Nazi occupation. By the age 18 she was known as “Kapetenissa sakira” meaning “ captain sarika” and led an all female unit.

Her early life

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Sara was raised by her mother after her father died when she was a baby. Even though she was jewish she grew up seeing herself as fully greek. Her family practiced jewish traditions quietly at home while embracing Greek culture. This shaped Sara's strong desire to fight for her country when the Nazis invaded.

Taking Action

227774_7 — 2025-05-21 19:42:39 UTC

In 1941 the Nazis began rounding up Jews in Greece. Sara and her mother escaped to a small village called Kutula. When it became too dangerous to stay together Sara left her mother in hiding and made a bold decision and that she would not survive, she would fight back. She joined Greek resistance fighters.

Forming a women’s resistance unit

227774_7 — 2025-05-21 19:43:19 UTC

Unlike most fighters Sara focused on recruiting women. She believed that women could contribute just as much to the resistance. She went from village to village organizing a female group. Their first mission involved throwing Molotov cocktails to cause confusion among enemy troops while male fighters launched an attack.

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Sara in truck, waving goodbye to the camp.

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Sara's early life "Day at the Beach."

Struggle for recognition

227774_7 — 2025-05-22 15:15:55 UTC

Even though Sara's unit was successful in their mission they rarely received credit. At the time society didn’t expect women to be warriors and male commanders were often shocked that women had carried out the attacks. This didn’t stop Sara, she kept leading with courage and determination.

Sara Fortis

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Sara in her partisan uniform.

Personal Tragedy and revenge

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A Nazi collaborator tried to trap Sara but mistakenly captured her cousin Medi instead. Medi was murdered. Sara was heartbroken and furious. She attacked the man responsible and executed him. This act showed both the cruelty of war and Sara’s resolve to protect those she loved.

Sara's famous Quote

227774_7 — 2025-05-22 17:40:31 UTC

“Fear Was Not in My Dictionary.”-Sara Fortis

Protecting The Girls

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An interview with Sara Fortis talking about her "army" of women.

After the war

227774_7 — 2025-05-22 17:59:57 UTC

After greece was liberated, Sara was arrested by the new government. She was eventually released and later moved to Israel where she lived a quieter life.

Her Legacy

227774_7 — 2025-05-22 18:04:13 UTC

Sara Fortis was one of the women to lead a resistance group during the Holocaust. She challenged gender roles, fought injustice, and showed her bravery. Today her name is remembered as a powerful example to all women who are suffering or in a dark time.

227774_7 — 2025-05-22 18:13:13 UTC

Sara and her resistance unit.

Sources

227774_7 — 2025-05-26 02:47:09 UTC

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

https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/sara-fortis

https://historyguild.org/fear-was-not-in-my-dictionary-the-revolutionary-work-of-sara-fortis/?srsltid=AfmBOoqxY8zqRVsRkmF3-mTZMYDPkshXf502224SGXgBgCUwDorOOUGD

https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/sara-fortiss-biography