During World War II, approximately 20,000-30,000 Jews, many of whom were teenagers, escaped the Nazis to form or join organized resistance groups. These Jews are known as the Jewish partisans, and they joined hundreds of thousands of non-Jewish partisans fighting against the enemy throughout much of Europe.

Due to severe antisemitism, in some partisan units Jews had to hide their identity even though they shared a common enemy. Other partisan units were purely Jewish. This was the case with the Bielski's, which were composed not merely of fighters, but of women, children, and the elderly. The group totaled 1,200 by the end of the war and today over 10,000 people are alive because of them.

When seeing the motion picture Defiance staring Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber, use these materials for background and creating teachable moments around the film.

Meet members of the Bielski partisan group through short biographies with videos and photos:
Tuvia Bielski
Max Cukier
Rae Kushner
Mira Shelub
Study Guides
Six-page downloadable guide with maps, photos, questions for students, and suggested readings:
Tuvia Bielski: Rescue is Resistance
Teacher/Parent Guide on Ethics for the Motion Picture Defiance