| Żydowski Związek Walki (ŻZW, Polish
for Jewish Fighting Union) was an underground organisation operating during World War II in the area of Warsaw Ghetto and fighting
during Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.
Organisation
It was founded by former Polish officers in October - November 1939, members of pre-War
right wing Jewish-Polish parties such as Betar (Perec Laskier, Lowa Swerin, Paweł
Frenkel, Merediks, Langleben and Rosenfeld), Hatzohar (Joel Białobrow, Dawid
Wdowiński) and the so-called "revisionists" (Leib "Leon" Rodal and Meir Klingbeil).
It carried over tasks of acquisition of arms for the future struggle as well as helping the Jews to escape the Ghetto.
ŻZW also maintained communications with the Armia Krajowa (mainly
through Henryk Iwański)
and Korpus Bezpieczenstwa (Security
Corps, the Polish underground police forces), which helped with weapons and ammunition aquisition and organising the escapes.
The commander of the ŻZW is said to be Dawid Wdowiński, although it is not certain due to lack of documents and sources. ŻZW was
organised into several departments:
- Information Department, directed by Leon Rodal;
- Organization Department, directed by Paweł Frenkel;
- Supply Department ("Kwatermistrzowski"), directed by Leon Wajnsztok;
- Finances Department, without a director;
- Communication Department (contacts with Armia Krajowa mainly),
directed by Dawid M. Appelbaum;
- Medical Department led by dr Józef Celmajster (under pseudonym Niemirski);
- Juridicial Department under Dawid Szulman;
- Saving (Ratowanie) Department (transporting Jewish children and others outside the ghetto), under Kalma
Mendelson;
- Department of Technology, Transport and Supplies (which, among other things, built two tunnels under the Ghetto walls) led by
Hanoch Federbusz;
- Military Department led by under Paweł Frenkel and Dawid Apfelbaum.
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
During the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising ŻZW is said
to have about 400 well-armed fighters grouped in 11 units. ŻZW fought together with AK fighters in Muranowska street (4
units under Frenkel). Dawid M. Apfelbaum took position in Miła street. Heniek Federbusz group organised a strong pocket of
resistance in a house near Zamenhoff street. Jan Pika unit took position in Miła street, while unit of Leizer Staniewicz
fought in the Nalewki, Gęsia street and Franciszkańska street. Dawid Berliński's group took position in second
part of Nalewki. Roman Winsztok commanded group near Muranowska, where also the headquarters of the Union was located (Muranowska 7/9 street).
See also:
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