The Anthem of the Jewish Partisans: Zog Nit Keyn Mol

The news has just come through that Marek Edelman, leader of the Warsaw ghetto uprising has passed away. Edelman cut his political teeth as a leader of the Jewish Workers Bund – a mass Jewish Marxist organisation – in prewar Poland – fighting against an authoritarian and anti-Semitic regime. In the Warsaw Ghetto he, along with others, lead the heroic last ditch uprising against the Nazis attempts to exterminate its inhabitants. By this point the ghettos population had been reduced to a fraction of what it had been – by death, starvation and deportation. The Nazis planned to liquidate the ghetto in 6 days. Yet a thousand Jewish fighters armed with pistols and home made weapons held out for nearly a month.

There is far more to be said than I can say right now, and I’m sure in days to come there will be a proper obituary to Edelman on The Third Estate. But for now, let us pay tribute to this brave partisan and comrade.